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tures,  and  geography  of  this  far-off"  land,  and  the  : 
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and  the  stories  contain  nothing  which  will  do 
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Little  by  Little ; 

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things;  they  want  something  that  will  stir  the 
blood  and  warm  the  heart.  Optic  aiwavs  does 
this,  while  at  the  same  time  he  improves  the  taste 
and  elevates  the  moral  nature.  The  coming  gen- 
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writings.  —  S.  1.  Schoolmate. 

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Haste  and  Waste; 

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plain, 

Oliver  Optic  is  the  apOBtolic  successor,  at  the 
"  Hub,"  of  Peter  Parley.  He  has  just  completed 
the  "Woodville  Stories,"  by  the  publication  of 
"Haste  and  Waste."  The  best  notice  to  give  of 
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Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 

in  2012  with  funding  from 

University  of  North  Carolina  at  Chapel  Hil 


http://archive.org/details/switchofforwarofOOopti 


UNIVERSITY  OF  N.C.  AT  CHAPEL  HILL 


00022228046 


■■a. 


(U&  Jfr?j& 


/mAA.% 


THE    LAKE    SHORE    SERIES. 


SWITCH  OFF; 


THE  WAR  OF  THE   STUDENTS. 


BY 


OLIVER    OPTIC, 

AUTHOR  OF   "YOUNG  AMERICA  ABROAD,"   "THE  ARMY  AND   NAVY  STORIES,' 

"THE  WOODVILLE   STORIES,"   "THE   BOAT-CLUB  STORIES," 

"  THE  STARRY  FLAG   STORIES,"  ETC. 


BOSTON : 

LEE    AND    SHEPAED,    PUBLISHERS. 

NEW  YORK: 

LEE,   SHEPARD   AND  DILLINGHAM. 

1873. 


Entered,  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  3-ear  1869,  by 

WILLIAM    T.   ADAMS, 

In  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  District  Court  of  the  District  of  Massachusetts. 


ELECTROTYPED    AT    THE 

BOSTON     STEREOTYPE     FOUNDRY, 

No.  19  Spring  Lane. 


my    "sroxnsTG-    friend 

"Z>  0  WN S E  T" 

©Ins  ^oofe 

IS  AFFECTIONATELY  DEDICATED. 


THE  LAKE   SHORE  SERIES. 


1.  THROUGH  BY  DAYLIGHT ;   or,  The  Young  Engineer 

of  the  Lake  Shore  Railroad. 

2.  LIGHTNING   EXPRESS;    or,  The  Eival  Academies. 


3.  ON    TIME;    or,     The    Young    Captain    of    the    Ucayga 

Steamer. 

4.  SWITCH  OFF;   or,  The  War  of  the  Students. 

5.  BRAKE   UP;   or,  The  Young  Peacemakers.    {In  press.') 

6.  BEAR  AND  FDRBEAR  ;  or,  The  Young  Skipper  of  Lake 

Ucayga. 


PKEFACE, 


"  Switch  Off  "  is  the  fourth  of  The  Lake  Shore 
Series,  and  was  one  of  the  serials  which  appeared  in 
Oliver  Optic's  Magazine.  Its  principal  incidents  relate  to 
the  students  of  the  Toppleton  Institute,  among  whom  the  war 
indicated  on  the  title-page  occurred.  The  story  is  told  by- 
one  of  the  young  men,  who  is  a  prominent  actor  in  the 
events  he  narrates.  Tommy  Toppleton  again  appears,  and 
is  even  more  overbeai-ing  and  tyrannical  than  before;  but 
the  reader  will  be  willing  to  congratulate  him,  at  the  end, 
upon  the  happy  influence  of  all  his  trials  and  troubles  on 
his  character,  and,  perhaps,  be  better  prepared  to  believe 
that   "  oft  from   apparent  ills   our  blessings   rise." 

It  has  been  the  purpose  of  the  author  in  this  volume 
still  further  to  illustrate  the  precept  of  the  gospel,  "  Love 
your   enemies ;  "    and    the    conduct   of    Ned   towards   his    de- 


5  PEEFACE. 

feated  and  mortified  enemy  is  earnestly  recommended  as  a 
safe  rule  for  life.  The  manner  in  -which  peace  happened 
to  be  made  between  the  rival  Institutes  has  always  been 
found  to  work  quite  as  well  in  actual  experience  as  in 
the  story. 

Harrison  Square,  Mass., 

August  24,  1869. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTEE    I. 
Eeady  for  a  Start 11 


CHAPTEE   II. 
On  the  March 21 

CHAPTEE    III. 
Major  Tommy  unhorsed.     .     o 31 

CHAPTEE    IV. 
The  Battle  at  the  Farm-house 41 

CHAPTEE    V. 

To    OBEY,    OR   NOT   TO    OBEY 51 

CHAPTEE    VI. 
The  Battle  in  the  Wheat  Field 62 

CHAPTEE    VII. 
Tommy  yields  a  Point 72 

CHAPTEE     VIII. 

The  Fire  in  the  Farm-house 82 

(7) 


O  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTEK    IX. 
The  Question  of  Rations 93 

CHAPTER    X. 
Who  the  Ceazt  Man  was 104 

CHAPTER    XI. 
In  the  Wild  Region 114 

CHAPTER    XII. 
Before  High  Bluff 124 

CHAPTER    XIII. 
A  Survey  of  the  Situation 135 

CHAPTER    XIV. 
Sergeant  Hacker's  Visit 146 

CHAPTER    XV. 
A  Strategic  Movement 157 

CHAPTER    XVI. 
The  Pine  Tree  Bridge 168 

CHAPTER    XVII. 
The  first  Ballot 179 

CHAPTER    XVIII. 
The  second  Ballot 190 


CONTENTS.  9 

CHAPTER    XIX. 
Healing  the  Breach. 200 

CHAPTER    XX. 
Tommy  Toppleton  in  Trouble 211 

CHAPTER    XXI. 
Christy  Holgate 222 

CHAPTER    XXII. 
The  Penitent 233 

CHAPTER    XXIII. 
The  Attic  Chamber 243 

CHAPTER    XXIV. 
The  Disaster  on  the  Wharf 253 

CHAPTER    XXV. 
Let  us  have  Peace 265 

CHAPTER    XXVI. 
Toppleton  Triumphant 276 


SWITCH   OFF; 

OK, 

THE    WAR    OF    THE    STUDENTS. 


CHAPTER  I. 


EEADY    FOR   A    START. 


^RDER  —  arms!"  said  Major  Tommy  Toppleton, 
mounted  on  his  sorrel  pony,  and  facing  the 
battalion  formed  of  the  students  of  the  Toppleton 
Institute. 

The  buts  of  the  light  muskets  clanged  in  unison 
on  the  gravel  walk,  where  the  column  was  drawn 
up.  It  was  early  on  Monday  morning,  and  the  young 
soldiers  were  in  excellent  spirits  —  better  than  they 
were  likely  to  be  at  a  later  hour  in  the  day,  for  the 
programme  included  a  fatiguing  march.  On  the  road 
leading  from  the  Institute  grounds  stood  three  wag- 
ons,  each   drawn  by  two   horses,   upon   which   were 

(H) 


12  SWITCH    OFF,    OR 

loaded  the  baggage,  provisions,  and  camp  equipage 
of  the  battalion. 

At  the  head  of  the  column  was  the  students'  band 
of  ten  pieces,  besides  a  drum  corps  of  eight,  and  two 
fifers.  Signor  Perelli,  our  music  teacher,  had  bestowed 
incredible  care  and  pains  upon  these  amateur  musi- 
cians, and  those  who  were  competent  judges  declared 
that  the  result  was  highly  creditable  to  his  skill  and 
perseverance.  In  other  words,  the  band  played  very 
well,  though  it  did  not  undertake  to  compete  with 
Gilmore,  Strauss,  Jullien,  or  even  with  the  Ucayga 
Cornet  Band.  The  drum  corps  was  a  perfect  suc- 
cess, for  most  of  its  members  had  been  in  practice 
over  a  year. 

Not  a  few  of  the  people  of  Middleport  had  gath- 
ered in  front  of  the  Institute  to  witness  the  parade, 
for  the  occasion  was  no  ordinary  one,  and  the  pro- 
gramme of  the  battalion  had  been  thoroughly  dis- 
cussed for  weeks.  In  years  before,  the  students  had 
damped  out  during  the  June  vacation.  During  the 
preceding  season  the  Toppletonians  had  pitched  their 
tents  on  the  Horse  Shoe,  where  the  famous  battles 
between  the  rival  academies  had  taken  place,  as  my 


THE    WAR    OF    THE    STUDENTS.  13 

friend  Captain  Wolf  Penniman  has  related  in  his 
^tory. 

Camping  out  had  become  rather  stale  with  the 
students,  and  they  longed  for  a  new  sensation.  If 
they  could  have  encamped  on  the  Horse  Shoe,  and 
had  another  conflict  with  the  Wimpletonians,  per- 
haps it  would  have  satisfied  them.  But  there  was 
no  prospect  of  any  sport  of  this  kind,  for  Wacldie 
"Wimpleton,  the  haughty,  untamed,  and  tyrannical, 
was  as  mild  and  gentle  as  a  lamb.  It  was  said  among 
the  fellows  that  he  had  experienced  religion,  or  some- 
thing of  that  sort.  It  was  certain  he  was  not  the 
boy  he  used  to  be.  He  had  voluntarily  resigned  his 
positions  as  president  of  the  Steamboat  Company  and 
major  of  the  battalion.  Though  Ben  Pinkerton  was 
commander  of  the  forces  on  the  other  side  of  the 
lake,  it  was  supposed  that  Waddie's  influence  as  a 
peacemaker  was  sufficient  to  control  the  movements 
of  the  troops,  and  prevent  them  from  engaging  in 
another  conflict  with  the  fellows  on  our  side  of  the 
lake. 

Besides,  there  was  another  circumstance  which 
seemed   to   interfere  to  keep  the  peace  between  the 


14  SWITCH    OFF,   OR 

boys  of  the  two  Institutes.  A  military  gentleman, 
residing  at  Ucayga,  had  become  interested  in  the  two 
battalions  of  juvenile  soldiers,  and  had  offered  a  prize 
of  a  magnificent  standard  to  the  one  which  should 
excel  the  other  in  company  and  battalion  drill.  With 
the  vanity  natural  to  boys,  each  party  believed  that 
all  the  skill  and  precision  was  upon  its  own  side,  and 
both  had  accepted  the  invitation  to  drill  for  the  ban- 
ner. This  great  event  was  to  come  off  on  the  fol- 
lowing Friday  morning,  at  Centreport.  The  place  had 
been  fixed  by  lot ;  and,  when  the  arrangement  had 
been  completed,  it  suggested  the  present  movement 
of  our  battalion. 

The  Toppletonians  did  not  care  to  encamp  at  any 
point  near  enough  to  Centreport  to  enable  them  to 
keep  their  engagement,  and  when  Captain  Briscoe 
jocosely  proposed  that  the  little  army  should  march 
round  to  the  other  side  of  the  lake  by  the  way  of 
Hitaca,  the  idea  was  received  with  tremendous  enthu- 
siasm. The  excursion  would  be  a  tour  of  camp  duty, 
with  an  ever-changing  scene,  and  with  no  lack  of 
novelty  and  excitement.  We  voted,  almost  unani- 
mously, that  the  long  tramp  of  seventy  miles  was  just 
the  thing  we  wanted. 


THE   WAR   OF    THE    STUDENTS.  15 

It  would  afford  us  opportunity  to  display  our  new 
uniforms,  our  band  and  drum  corps,  our  drill  and 
marching,  to  people  on  the  route  who  had  hardly 
ever  seen  a  company  of  soldiers.  "We  should  aston- 
ish the  Hitacaites  with  our  music  and  parade,  excite 
the  admiration  of  the  ladies  in  general,  and  the  young 
ladies  in  particular,  and  make  us  all  first-class  lions. 
The  people  would  turn  out  to  behold  us,  bestow  del- 
icate attentions  upon  us,  and  entertain  us  with  gen- 
erous hospitality.  We  had  all  the  elements  for  a 
splendid  parade,  including  our  stylish  uniforms,  good 
music,  and  well-trained  companies. 

For  two  weeks  hardly  anything  was  talked  about 
but  this  tour  of  camp  duty.  Those  who  received  the 
plan  coldly  at  first,  soon  became  enthusiastic.  Those 
who  growled  at  the  idea  of  marching  twenty  miles 
in  a  day  were  persuaded  to  believe  that  our  progress 
would  be  a  continued  triumph,  and  that  it  would  be 
accomplished  in  six  or  seven  hours,  so  that  there 
would  be  plenty  of  time  to  rest.  The  authorities  of 
the  Institute  objected  to  the  plan,  but  as  Major  Tom- 
my Toppleton  favored  it,  there  was  not  much  to  be 
said  against  it.     His  father  was  compelled  to  indorse 


16  SWITCH   OFF,    OR 

the  march ;  and,  of  course,  the  instructors  were  obliged 
to  withdraw  all  opposition. 

Two  of  the  teachers,  besides  the  drill-master,  were 
detailed  to  accompany  the  battalion  in  carriages,  and 
prevent  it  from  robbing  hen-roosts,  or  capturing  any 
of  the  towns  on  the  route.  But  when  Tommy  heard 
of  this  little  arrangement  he  was  as  indignant  as 
though  the  professors  had  given  him  a  thrashing,  and 
interposed  his  veto.  Pie  would  not  have  any  school- 
masters dogging  his  steps,  and  spying  into  his  actions. 
He  hated  spies.  The  battalion  was  composed  of  young 
gentlemen,  and  if  they  were  a  little  fast  at  times,  they 
knew  how  to  behave  themselves,  and  did  not  need  any 
2)edagogues  to  watch  them.  He  could  take  care  of 
his  force  himself.  So  the  instructors  were  permitted 
to  spend  their  vacation  in  pursuits  more  congenial  to 
their  tastes  than  following  a  multitude  of  crazy  boys, 
under  a  crazy  leader.  Perhaps  it  would  have  been 
better  for  Tommy  if  he  had  permitted  these  guar- 
dians of  the  peace  to  attend  the  battalion. 

We  were  all  ready  to  start.  The  baggage  wagons 
were  to  fall  in  behind  the  column,  and  the  drivers 
were  on  their  boxes.     Everybody  was  in  high  spirits, 


THE    WAR    OF    THE    STUDENTS.  17 

and  anticipated  the  greatest  time  known  in  the  an- 
nals of  the  Toppleton  Institute.  Major  Tommy,  in 
particular,  was  in  full  feather;  for  he  was  the  com- 
mander of  the  expedition,  and  a  march  of  a  Aveek 
through  places  which  suggested  honors  and  ovations 
was  an  event  which  was  calculated  to  stimulate  his 
bump  of  self-esteem. 

On  the  preceding  Saturday,  the  stockholders  of  the 
Lake  Shore  Railroad  had  held  their  annual  meeting. 
On  the  year  before,  the  present  president  had  actu- 
ally been  defeated  on  the  first  ballot,  and  "  your  hum- 
ble servant"  elected  in  his  place.  Not  caring  to 
endure  the  constant  browbeating  and  annoyance  to 
which  I  should  have  been  subjected  had  I  taken  the 
office,  and  because  I  really  believed  then  that  Tommy 
ought  to  have  it,  I  had  declined.  Then,  by  a  tre- 
mendous effort  on  the  part  of  the  president's  friends, 
and  particularly  on  the  part  of  Wolf  Penniman,  who 
pleaded  for  him  as  though  he  had  been  a  friend  in 
distress,  Tommy  received  a  bare  majority  of  the  votes 
cast. 

I  was  sorry  afterwards  that  I  refused  the  position ; 
for   Tommy,  always    overbearing   and  tyrannical,  be- 
2 


18  SWITCH    OFF,   OR 

came  so  to  such  an  extent  that  the  fellows  had  been 
on  the  verge  of  mutiny  for  a  year.  They  had  waited 
with  impatience  for  the  return  of  the  annual  elections, 
intending  to  pitch  him  down  from  his  high  positions. 
But  Tommy  and  his  father  had  provided  for  this  emer- 
gency. The  former  had  always  nominally  held — as, 
in  fact,  the  rest  of  the  students  owned  their  stock — 
a  large  proportion  of  the  shares.  If  a  boy  left  the 
Institute  during  the  year,  his  stock  was  made  over 
to  Tommy,  or  to  some  of  his  toadies,  for  he  had  a 
small  army  of  satellites  of  this  species.  The  result 
was,  that  the  president  was  reelected  by  a  small  ma- 
jority. Feeling  that  he  was  secure  in  his  high  posi- 
tion, he  had  taken  no  pains  to  conciliate  those  who 
condemned  his  tyranny,  and,  if  possible,  he  was  more 
unpopular  than  ever. 

The  students  had  become  pretty  thoroughly  dis- 
gusted with  the  management  of  the  Lake  Shore  Rail- 
road. Although  the  business  of  the  company  was  still 
carried  on  in  their  name;  though  the  stock  was  bought, 
sold,  and  transferred  on  the  books ;  though  the  boys 
discharged  the  duties  of  their  several  offices,  —  they 
had  but  little  interest  in  the  corporation.     They  had 


THE   WAK   OF   THE    STUDENTS.  19 

no  real  power.  If  the  superintendent,  the  road-mas- 
ter, or  the  directors  did  anything,  it  was  by  order 
of  Tommy  or  his  father.  But,  I  ought  to  add,  in 
justice  to  Major  Toppleton,  that  there  was  not  a  stu- 
dent in  the  Institute,  who  had  been  there  a  year,  that 
did  not  know  all  about  the  details  of  running  a  rail- 
road, who  was  not  familiar  with  stock  operations,  and 
who  was  not  prepared  to  discharge  his  duty  as  an 
official  in  a  railroad  company.  As  a  means  of  instruc- 
tion, it  was  still  a  good  thing;  but  it  had  ceased  to 
be  a  source  of  amusement,  as  it  would  have  been  if 
the  president  had  not  ruled  so  arbitrarily. 

As  the  railroad  president,  Tommy  was  safe  for 
another  year.  Though  dissatisfied,  our  fellows  had 
already  begun  to  gather  up  the  stock  by  helping  out 
weaker  ones  in  their  lessons,  or  by  the  purchase  of 
it  with  money,  peanuts,  and  cream-cakes.  The  elec- 
tion of  a  commanding  officer  of  the  battalion  usually 
came  off  on  the  same  day  as  the  railroad  meeting ; 
but  it  had  been  postponed  to  the  following  Tuesday, 
by  what  influence  I  do  not  know.  Those  who  ac- 
complished this  purpose  either  forgot  that  on  this 
day  we  should  be  on  the  march,  or  they  expected 
to  derive  some  advantage  from  the  fact. 


20  SWITCH   OFF,    OR 

Tommy  Toppleton  declared  that  he  was  sure  of 
being  elected ;  and  I  think  he  was  sincere  in  his 
belief.  He  had  many  devoted  adherents,  who  bowed 
down  to  his  power  and  influence ;  but  there  were 
just  as  many  active  opponents,  and  a  great  middle 
class  who  were  not  partisans  either  for  or  against 
him.  Electioneering  on  both  sides  was  carried  on 
with  spirit  and  energy,  and  the  contest  promised  to 
be  an  excitincr  one. 


THE   WAR   OF    THE   STUDENTS.  21 


CHAPTER  II. 


ON    THE    MARCH. 


THE  battalion  stood  at  "order  arms,"  waiting  for 
the  next  movement.  Major  Tommy  galloped 
his  sorrel  charger  up  and  down  the  line,  looking 
with  great  solemnity  at  the  troops.  We  in  the  line 
wondered  what  was  going  to  happen,  though  we  were 
all  sufficiently  aware  of  Tommy's  propensity  for  mak- 
ing speeches  to  suspect  that  he  meditated  a  flight  of 
rhetoric  on  the  present  occasion.  The  opportunity 
seemed  to  be  too  good  for  him  to  neglect.  He 
would  not  have  thought  of  making  a  speech  to  the 
battalion  alone ;  but  the  instructors  and  quite  a 
respectable  crowd  of  the  town's  people  were  present, 
and  we  knew  the  oration  was  intended  for  them 
rather  than  for  us,  to  whom  it  was  addressed. 

"  Soldiers,"  Tommy  began,  with   a   flourish  of  his 
sword,  —  a  very  elegant  toy,  which  added  much  vim 


22  SWITCH   OFF,   OB 

to  his  words,  —  "we  are  about  to  commence  a  long 
march." 

"  What's  the  use  of  saying  that  ?  We  knew  it 
before,"  said,  in  a  low  tone,  the  first  lieutenant  of 
Company  B,  who  stood  near  me. 

"  We  are  going  without  any  of  our  instructors, 
entirely  upon  our  own  responsibility." 

"We  know  that  too,"  growled  the  lieutenant;  and 
no  one  will  suspect  that  he  was  a  partisan  of  the  major, 

"  Soldiers,  we  must  remember  the  uniform  that  we 
wear,  and  never  disgrace  it.  We  must  bear  in  mind 
that  we  are  the  soldiers  of  the  Toppleton  Institute, 
upon  which  rests  no  stain  of  disgrace  or  dishonor. 
Wherever  we  go,  let  it  be  our  purpose  to  reflect 
credit  and  honor  upon  the  institution.  We  claim  to 
be  young  gentlemen;  let  us  conduct  ourselves  as  such, 
whether  we  be  in  the  halls  of  the  Institute,  or  amid 
the  solitudes  of  nature." 

"  He  stole  that,"  hummed  the  discontented  lieuten- 
ant of  Company  B. 

"  Soldiers,  we  are  a  military  organization,  subject  to 
the  rules  of  military  discipline.  The  first  duty  of  a 
soldier  is  to  obey  the  orders  of  his  superiors.     I  expect 


THE    WAR    OF    THE    STUDENTS.  23 

from  you,  during  the  march  that  is  before  us,  the  most 
implicit  obedience  to  your  officers.  If  any  one,  officer 
or  private,  behaves  himself  in  an  unsoldierly  manner, 
he  shall  be  promptly  tried  by  court  martial,  and  pun- 
ished for  his  offence." 

"  Court  martial ! "  exclaimed  the  grumbler  of  Com- 
pany B.  "  If  Tommy  Toppleton  don't  conduct  himself 
according  to  his  buncombe  standard,  I  go  for  trying 
him  by  court  martial." 

Tommy's  allusion  to  military  discipline  looked  as 
though  he  h^ad  obtained  a  new  idea.  A  court  mar- 
tial was  a  thing  unknown  in  the  experience  of  our 
little  army.  Tommy  had  threatened  the  thing  once 
or  twice  when  the  boys  were  crooked,  though  delin- 
quents were  reported  to  the  principal  of  the  Institute, 
and  punished  by  him.  But  it  was  a  fact  that  the 
major  had  been  studying  up  courts  martial;  and  when 
he  mentioned  the  matter,  we  were  satisfied  that  he 
would  be  on  the  lookout  for  some  one  to  court  mar- 
tial. It  was  evident  that  he  wished  to  go  through 
with  the  ceremony  of  a  military  court,  and  we  saw 
that  it  would  be  well  for  us  to  be  prudent,  or  he 
would  soon  find  a  victim. 


24  SWITCH   OFF,    OR 

Tommy  proceeded  to  explain  the  order  of  march, 
the  rules  of  the  camp  and'  bivouac,  and  repeated  his 
injunctions  that  all  the  members  of  the  battalion 
should  behave  with  perfect  propriety,  the  latter  of 
which  could  only  be  meant  in  a  Pickwickian  sense, 
and  was  uttered  to  produce  a  proper  impression  upon 
the  instructors  and  other  outsiders. 

"Shoulder  —  arms!"  shouted  he,  when  he  had  fin- 
ished his  oration. 

We  shouldered,  broke  into  sections,  and  moved  off. 
The  baggage  wagons  fell  in  behind,  and  the  long 
tramp  was  actually  commenced.  The  band  played 
"  The  Girl  I  left  behind  me,"  which,  however,  had  no 
special  significance  on  the  present  occasion,  inasmuch 
as  we  were  all  too  young  to  have  sweethearts.  Major 
Tommy  rode  in  solemn  majesty  at  the  head  of  the 
column,  the  boys  and  girls  in  the  streets  gazing  at 
him  in  wonder  and  admiration.  The  sorrel  pony,  as 
well  as  the  rider,  seemed  to  "feel  his  oats,"  prancing 
and  curvetting  in  a  very  impressive  manner. 

In  less  than  half  an  hour  we  had  passed  the  last 
house  in  the  town.  Thus  far  we  had  marched  with 
the  utmost  precision,  and  the  band  had  played  nearly 


THE    WAR   OF    THE    STUDENTS.  25 

all  the  time,  relieved  at  intervals  by  the  drum  corps. 
Of  course  we  all  expected  to  make  a  show  when  we 
passed  any  houses,  or  there  were  any  people  to  see 
us;  but  we  did  not  like  to  be  kept  in  the  strait 
jacket  of  precision  when  there  was  no  occasion  for  a 
sensation,  and  when  there  was  nothing  but  the  squir- 
rels and  the  robins  to  be  moved  by  a  martial  display. 
We  expected  the  order  for  the  "route  step,"  which 
permitted  us  to  march  in  a  free  and  easy  manner. 
It  did  not  come,  and  the  band  and  the  drum  corps 
bio  wed  and  pounded  just  as  though  we  had  been  in 
the  midst  of  a  populous  city. 

"  Tommy  is  ugly  to-day,"  said  the  lieutenant  of 
Company  B.  "He  means  to  make  us  work  our  pas- 
sage." 

"I  am  afraid  he  is,"  I  replied.  "But  it  is  not  very 
uncommon  for  him." 

"I  should  think  he  would  remember  that  to-mor- 
row will  be  election  day.  What's  the  use  of  tooting 
so  out  ke»e!"  added  the  malcontent,  alluding  to  the 
music  of  the  band. 

"  No  use ;  but  it's  Tommy's  will." 

"No  talking  in  the  ranks  there!"  exclaimed  Tom- 


26  SWITCH    OFF,   OR 

my,  who  had  halted  his  steed  at  the  side  of  the  road 
to  survey  his  command.  "Captain  Skotchley,  you  will 
keep  in  your  proper  position." 

I  obeyed  the  order;  but,  as  Tommy  rode  forward, 
I  ventured  to  suggest  that  the  route  step  would  be 
agreeable  to  the  privates. 

"  You  will  mind  your  own  business,  Captain  Skotch- 
ley, and  remember  that  I  command  the  battalion.  I 
don't  need  any  advice,"  was  the  ungracious  reply. 

By  'regular  promotions  I  had  become  the  captain 
of  Company  B.  My  advancement  was  not  due  to 
Tommy's  favor,  for  I  was  not  one  of  his  toadies.  I 
had  taken  no  part  in  the  battles  on  the  Horse  Shoe 
the  year  before,  when  the  conduct  of  the  little  major 
had  been  so  overbearing  that  I  could  not  endure  it. 
I  was  charged  with  being  a  deserter.  I  wrote  to  my 
father,  asking  him  to  take  me  away  from  the  Insti- 
tute ;  but  he  was  an  old  friend  of  Major  Toppleton, 
senior,  and  a  peace  was  patched  up  between  us.  I 
was  restored  to  my  rank;  but  Tommy  hated  me  as  he 
did  the  evil  one,  because  I  would  not  toady  to  him. 

Why  should  I  ?  My  father  was  not  less  wealthy 
than  his.      Our  social  position  was  just  as  good.      I 


THE   WAR   OF   THE    STUDENTS.  27 

always  made  it  a  point  to  be  a  gentleman.  I  had 
my  friends  among  the  poor  as  well  as  the  rich;  and 
I  don't  think  I  ever  put  on  airs.  I  always  had  a 
profound  respect  and  admiration  for  Wolf  Penniman, 
and  we  were  the  very  best  of  friends.  He  always 
called  me  the  "  dignified  student,"  though  I  don't 
think  there  was  any  particular  reason  for  doing  so, 
unless  it  was  that  I  was  too  dignified  to  be  trodden 
beneath  the  feet  of  Tommy  Toppleton.  I  always 
liked  a  good  time,  and  went  in  for  one  when  there 
was  a  chance. 

Without  egotism  I  may  say  that  I  stood  well  with 
the  fellows  in- the  Institute  —  that  is,  with  all  those 
whose  good  opinion  was  worth  having.  I  base  my 
judgment  of  this  feeling  upon  the  fact  that  they 
elected  me  the  president  of  the  railroad  company 
over  Tommy  Toppleton,  the  year  before,  and  had 
given  me  almost  a  majority  the  present  year.  More 
than  this,  in  the  counsels  of  the  opposition,  I  had 
been  invited  to  stand  as  a  candidate  for  major,  at  the 
coming  election.  Briscoe  ranked  me,  and  was  a  very 
good  fellow,  though  a  little  disposed  to  be  hot-headed 
at   times.     I   refused  to   stand  in  his  way,  believing 


28  SWITCH   OFF,    OR 

him  justly  entitled  to  the  office  if  Tommy  was  de- 
feated, as  the  opposition  hoped  and  expected  he 
would  be  on  the  following  day.  Some  of  the  fellows 
told  the  captain  of  Company  A  that  I  had  declined 
in  his  favor,  and  I  did  not  lose  anything  in  his  esti- 
mation by  the  act. 

Tommy  did  not  give  us  the  route  step,  and  we  con- 
cluded he  intended  to  worry  and  fatigue  us  as  much 
as  he  could  ;  but  we  were  too  good  soldiers  to  dis- 
obey orders,  at  least  at  this  stage  of  the  march.  We 
advanced  with  as  much  precision  as  though  the  eyes 
of  admiring  thousands  had  been  fixed  upon  us.  We 
were  ascending  the  gentle  undulation  of  a  long  hill, 
about  four  miles  from  Middleton,  when  we  saw  a 
young  man  in  a  wagon,  with  a  very  pretty  girl  at 
his  side,  driving  a  spirited  horse.  The  band  was 
laboriously  wailing  out  the  solemn  strains  of  "  Hail, 
Columbia,"  for  it  had  about  exhausted  its  repertoire 
of  pieces ;  and  the  bass  drummer  pounded  out  his 
part  as  though  he  knew  not  the  meaning  of  weari- 
ness. The  horse  attached  to  the  wagon,  which  ap- 
peared to  be  a  four-year-old  colt,  began  to  snort,  and 
exhibit  an  evident  disinclination  to  "face  the  music." 


THE   WAR   OF   THE    STUDENTS.  29 

Pretty  girl  was  alarmed,  as  well  she  might  be,  for  the 
capricious  animal  reared  and  plunged  in  a  fearful 
manner.  The  young  man  holding  the  reins  Avas  mas- 
ter of  the  situation,  though  he  appeared  to  have  his 
hands  full. 

Major  Tommy  was  riding  on  the  flank  of  the  bat- 
talion, as  the  head  of  the  column  approached  the 
furious  horse.  He  dashed  forward  with  a  flourish, 
when  the  leader  of  the  band,  seeing  that  the  music 
frightened  the  colt,  and  not  wishing  to  be  responsible 
for  a  catastrophe,  had  silenced  the  players. 

"  Why  don't  you  play  ?  What  did  you  stop  for  ?  " 
shouted  the  major,  angrily.     "Strike  up  again!" 

The  leader  tooted  with  his  bugle,  and  the  bass 
drummer  hammered  out  the  initial  notes  of  the  piece. 
The  terrified  animal,  which  had  begun  to  take  a  rea- 
sonable view  of  the  situation,  reared  and  plunged 
again.  Pretty  girl  screamed,  as  pretty  girls  do  when 
they  are  alarmed,  and  the  colt  was  frightened  all  the 
more. 

"  I  say,  cap'n,  just  stop  the  music  for  half  a  min- 
ute —  won't  you,  if  you  please  ? "  said  the  driver, 
appealing  to  Tommy,  who  had  now  resumed  his  place 
at  the  head  of  the  battalion. 


30  SWITCH   OFF,   ok 

"  No,  sir !  I  won't  stop  the  music,"  replied  Tommy, 
rudely ;  and  he  appeared  to  enjoy  the  terror  of  the 
pretty  girl,  and  the  antics  of  the  horse. 

"  Only  half  a  minute !  Clarissa  is  scared  half  to 
death,"  added  the  young  man. 

"Play  away!"  was  the  only  reply  the  magnificent 
major  deigned  to  make. 

The  colt  stopped,  stood  up  straight,  and  positively 
refused  to  advance  another  step.  Then,  as  the  band 
advanced,  he  began  to  back,  until  he  had  placed  the 
wagon  square  across  the  road,  between  the  major  and 
the  musicians. 

"  Stop  the  music,"  said  Caj)tain  Briscoe,  in  a  low 
tone. 

The  band  ceased  playing.  Indeed,  they  could  not 
well  do  otherwise,  for  the  fractious  colt,  as  the  driver 
attempted  to  urge  him  forward,  broke  in  upon  their 
ranks,  and  then  backed  them  out  of  the  road,  and 
out  of  their  propriety  at  the  same  instant. 


THE   WAE   OF   THE    STUDENTS.  31 


CHAPTER  III. 

MAJOR   TOMMY   UNHORSED. 

"HAT  do  you  stop  playing  for?"  demanded 
Major  Tommy,  furiously. 

It  was  a  stupid  question,  after  the  musicians  had 
been  driven  out  of  the  road  by  the  antics  of  the 
colt.  The  head  of  the  column  had  also  been  broken ; 
for,  though  the  Toppleton  warriors  were  brave  fel- 
lows, they  did  not  like  the  idea  of  being  ground 
under  the  wheels  of  the  countryman's  wagon,  and 
they  were  prepared  to  make  a  safe  retreat,  without 
much  regard  to  the  order  of  their  going.  The  major 
—  as  the  colt  finally  stopped  and  stood  impatiently 
pawing  the  ground  —  rode  back  to  the  spot  where 
the  head  of  the  column  ought  to  have  been. 

"  You  are  a  set  of  blockheads  ! "  roared  Tommy. 
"  Are  you  afraid  of  a  horse  ?  Form  in  column  I  Play 
away,  again." 


©2  SWITCH    OFF,    OE 

"I  say,  cap'n,  just  hold  on 'half  a  minute  —  won't 
you,  till  I  get  by  ?  "  called  the  driver  of  the  unbroken 
colt. 

"No,  I  won't." 

"Don't  be  mean  about  it,"  added  the  countryman, 
rather  angrily. 

"  Get  out  of  the  road  ! "  cried  Tommy. 

"  See  here,  you  little  cock-turkey :  if  you  don't  be- 
have yourself,  I'll  snake  you  off  that  horse  quicker 
than  you  can  shut  your  eyes  when  it  lightens ! " 

"  Don't !  Don't !  I'm  scart  almost  to  death," 
gasped  pretty  girl.  "  Let  me  get  out !  We  shall  be 
killed." 

And  suiting  the  action  to  the  words,  pretty  girl, 
as  nimbly  as  a  bird,  jumped  out  of  the  wagon,  and 
retreated  from  the  scene  of  danger. 

My  company  was  still  in  good  order,  with  the  lieu- 
tenants in  position  in  front  of  the  platoons.  I  walked 
forward  in  season  to  hear  Briscoe  advise  the  leader 
of  the  band  not  to  play.  My  judgment  was,  that 
Tommy  was  crazy  to  insist  upon  scaring  the  horse, 
when  the  danger  was  so  great;  and  I  was  willing  to 
back  up  the  senior  captain. 


THE    WAR   OF   THE    STUDENTS.  33 

"  Why  don't  you  play,  when  I  tell  you  to  do  so  ? " 
roared  Tommy,  furious  at  the  disobedience  of  the 
band. 

They  did  not  say  anything,  but  they  did  not  blow. 
The  colt,  no  longer  hearing  the  music,  and  finding  the 
road  comparatively  clear  before  'him,  allowed  himself 
to  be  appeased  by  his  driver.  He  stood  tossing  his 
head  and  pawing  the  ground  ;  but  he  appeared  to  be 
conscious  that  he  had  won  the  battle,  and  to  be  en- 
tirely satisfied  with  himself.  The  young  man  in 
charge  of  him,  doubtless  thinking  that  discretion  was 
the  better  part  of  valor,  or  that  the  battle  was  not 
worth  fighting  after  the  retreat  of  Clarissa,  got  out 
of  the  wagon,  and  took  the  colt  by  the  bridle.  Lead- 
ing him  out  of  the  road,  he  patted  his  neck. 

"  Cap'n,  your  the  meanest  pup  I've  met  since  I  was 
born,"  added  the  young  man,  when  he  had  reduced 
the  colt  to  a  tolerably  quiet  state. 

"None  of  your  impudence,  you  rascal,"  replied 
Tommy. 

"  If  I  hadn't  my  hands  full,  I'd  give  you  something 
besides  impudence,  you  little  snipper-snapper  of  a 
cock-turkey ! " 

3 


34  SWITCH    OFF,    OE 

"  Form  your  company,  Captain  Briscoe  !  "  growled 
Tommy. 

The  senior  captain  obeyed  the  command,  and  the 
battalion  was  again  in  marching  order,  with  the  scat- 
tered musicians  reorganized  at  its  head. 

"  Music ! "  shouted  the  commander.  "  Forward  — 
march ! " 

The  leader  of  the  band  was  not  one  of  Tommy's 
toadies,  and,  fortified  by  the  senior  captain's  advice, 
he  failed  to  give  the  key-note  which  was  the  signal 
for  the  musicians  to  play.  The  column  began  to 
move ;  but  not  a  demi-semiquaver  came  from  the 
band,  —  only  the  tap  of  the  drummer. 

"Halt!"  cried  the  major,  before  the  battalion  had 
taken  three  steps.     "  Why  don't  you  play  ?  " 

"I'm  not  going  to  scare  that  horse  any  more,"  re- 
plied the  leader. 

"  You  are  not !  "  foamed  Tommy,  red  with  rage,  as 
he  pushed  his  horse  up  to  the  musician,  and  struck 
him  over  the  shoulder  with  his  sword. 

"  No,  I'm  not !     I  don't  want  to  kill  anybody." 

It  was  evident  that  a  victim  for  the  court  martial 
had  been  found  ;  but  it  was  certain  that,  if  Fryes,  the 


THE    WAR    OF    THE    STUDENTS.  35 

leader  of  the  band,  was  "broken,"  we  could  have  no 
more  music,  for  the  players  could  do  nothing  without 
him.  He  was  the  son  of  a  German  distinguished  in 
musical  circles,  and  inherited  his  skill  from  his  father. 
He  was  a  splendid  fellow,  and  would  have  been  an 
officer  if  he  could  have  been  spared  from  the  band, 
so  that  his  present  service  really  involved  a  great 
sacrifice  on  his  part. 

"If  you  don't  play,  I'll  march  the  battalion  back 
to  Middleport,  and  have  you  punished  as  you  de- 
serve," added  Tommy. 

We  were  not  a  little  astonished  that  Fryes  did 
not  resent  the  indignity  of  the  blow  he  had  received, 
especially  as  he  was  a  high-spirited  fellow.  I  saw  the 
leader  glance  at  Briscoe,  who  nodded  his  head.  Per- 
haps the  senior  captain  was  afraid  that  the  irate  major 
would  march  us  back  to  the  Institute,  and  thus  defeat 
a  little  plan  we  had  formed  to  remedy  our  grievances. 
Fryes  understood  the  signal  of  Briscoe,  and  gave  the 
key-note.     The  musicians  were  all  ready. 

"  Forward  —  march  !  "  shouted  Tommy. 

The  first  beat  of  the  bass  drum,  with  the  accom- 
panying blast  of  the  brass  instruments,  waked  up  the 


36  SWITCH    OFF,    OE 

colt  again,  and,  in  spite  of  all  the  efforts  of  the  coun- 
tryman, again  he  stood  up  upon  his  hind  feet.  He 
was  even  more  desperate  than  before,  and  in  his  furi- 
ous struggles  shook  off  the  man.  The  instant  he  had 
freed  himself  from  the  control  of  the  strong  arm,  — 
which  I  think  was  done  by  the  breaking  of  the  bri- 
dle, —  he  whirled  around  in  the  twinkling  of  an  eye, 
without  regard  to  the  wagon  attached  to  him.  Cut- 
ting so  short  lifted  up  the  body  of  the  vehicle,  and 
drawing  out  the  snipe-bill,  detached  it  from  the  for- 
ward wheels. 

The  colt  now  had  it  all  his  own  way.  The  driver 
sprang  forward  and  attempted  to  catch  him;  but  the 
beast  seemed  to  flash  rather  than  move  in  the  ordi- 
nary way,  and  dashed  off  at  a  furious  run  in  the  direc- 
tion from  which  he  had  come.  Pretty  girl,  on  the 
bank  at  the  side  of  the  road,  screamed  again,  as  the 
catastrophe  was  consummated.  The  musicians  ceased 
playing,  in  the  excitement  of  the  moment,  and  the 
battalion  was  thrown  into  disorder. 

"  There,  do  you  see  Avhat  you've  done ! "  howled 
the  countryman,  doubling  up  his  fist  at  Tommy,  as 
the  colt  disappeared  behind  a  hill  in  front  of  us. 


THE   WAK   OF   THE    STUDENTS.  37 

"I  didn't  do  it,"  replied  Tommy;  and  I  judged, 
from  his  tone,  that  even  he  was  not  a  little  startled 
by  the  consequences  of  his  folly.  "Why  didn't  you 
take  care  of  your  horse?" 

"Get  off  that  nag!"  said  the  young  man,  rushing 
upon  Tommy,  and  seizing  the  pony  by  the  bridle. 

"  Let  me  alone !     Don't  touch  my  horse ! " 

Before  we  were  aware  of  his  purpose,  the  excited 
man  had  dragged  Tommy  from  his  steed,  and  pitched 
him  into  the  dirt  in  the  middle  of  the  road.  But  it 
presently  appeared  that  he  was  not  intent  upon  aven- 
ging the  insults  of  Tommy,  for  he  mounted  the  pony, 
and,  grinding  his  heels  into  the  flanks  of  the  little 
charger,  forced  him  into  a  run.  He  dashed  up  the 
hill,  and  disappeared  beyond  its  crest. 

Briscoe  and  I  rushed  forward  to  the  assistance  of 
Tommy,  who,  however,  picked  himself  up  with  a  facil- 
ity which  indicated  that  he  was  not  seriously  injured. 
I  took  his  sword  from  the  ground,  where  it  had  fallen 
in  the  sudden  onslaught  of  the  major's  agile  foe,  and 
handed  it  back  to  him. 

"Are  you  hurt,  major?"  asked  Briscoe. 

"  No,  I  believe  not,"  replied  Tommy,  feeling  of  his 


38  SWITCH    OFF,   OR 

injured  leg,  and  assuring  himself  that  it  had  sustained 
no  damage. 

"  Is  your  leg  all  right  ?  " 

"  Yes ;  but  I  should  like  to  get  hold  of  that  fellow," 
answered  Tommy,  who  had  sufficiently  recovered  from 
his  astonishment  to  begin  to  be  angry  at  the  savage 
treatment  he  had  received. 

"  I  don't  think  you  would  make  much  if  you  did 
get  hold  of  him,"  I  ventured  to  remark. 

"  Why  not  ?  "  demanded  the  discomfited  major,  who 
.did  not  appear  to  see  the  point  of  my  observation. 

"  He  is  too  heavy  for  you." 

"Do  you  think  I  will  stand  such  usage  as  that?" 

"  I  don't  exactly  see  how  you  can  help  yourself, 
now  that  it  is  all  over." 

"  I'll  teach  that  fellow  who  I  am." 

"It  seems  to  me  that  you  will  have  to  catch  him 
before  you  teach  him  anything." 

"  The  rascal  has  stolen  my  horse  !  " 

"  I  don't  think  he  meant  to  steal  him,"  suggested 
Captain  Briscoe.  "  He  has  only  gone  to  find  his  own 
horse." 

"  He   stole   him,  anyhow ;   and   it  will  cost  him   a 


THE    WAR    OF    THE    STUDENTS.  39 

penny  for  knocking  me  off  in  that  style,"  continued 
Tommy,  shaking  his  head,  as  the  extent  of  his  defeat 
seemed  to  crowd  upon  him.  "  That  fellow  don't  know 
who  I  am." 

"  Perhaps  he  don't,"  I  replied ;  and  I  couldn't  help 
winking  at  Briscoe,  though  I  am  opposed  to  winking 
in  any  other  than  the  natural  way,  in  theory,  if  not 
in  practice. 

"What  shall  we  do,  Major  Toppleton?"  asked  the 
senior  captain,  when  Tommy  had  informed  us  what 
he  intended  to  do,  if  he  caught  the  countryman. 

"  Well,  I  don't  know.  I'm  not  going  on  this  tramp 
without  any  horse." 

"You  will  get  your  pony  again,"  major,  suggested 
Captain  Briscoe. 

"  I  want  that  man  taken  up  and  punished  as  he 
ought  to  be  for  knocking  me  off,  and  for  taking  my 
horse,"  added  Tommy,  savagely.  "  Why  didn't  you 
pitch  into  him,  some  of  you,  when  he  came  at  me  ? " 

Neither  of  us  ventured  to  make  any  reply  to  this 
reproachful  question,  for  our  sympathies  were  certainly 
with  the  young  man  —  at  least  up  to  the  point  when 
he  pulled  Tommy  off  his  horse. 


40  SWITCH   OFF,   OR 

"I  don't  think  you  had  the  pluck  of  a  mosquito, 
or  you  would  have  punched  him  with  your  swords." 

"  Why  didn't  you  do  it  yourself?  You  were  nearer 
to  hira  than  we  were,"  I  replied. 

"  He  didn't  give  me  time." 

"  He  didn't  give  us  time,  either." 

"I  didn't  know  what  he  was  going  to  do  till  he 
had  done  it." 

"Neither  did  we." 

"No  matter  for  that  now;  when  we  catch  him  we 
will  give  him  fits.  If  the  whole  battalion  can't  han- 
dle that  man,  I  think  we  had  better  take  lessons  in 
fighting.  I'm  going  to  capture  him,  and  give  him  a 
thrashing  for  his  impudence,  if  we  see  him  again." 

Briscoe  looked  at  me  with  a  meaning  smile.  We 
were  not  disposed  to  quarrel  with  our  superior  officer ; 
but  both  of  us  believed  the  countryman  had  served 
him  just  right.  It  was  a  simple  thing  to  stop  the 
music  for  a  few  moments ;  but  Tommy's  stupid  ob- 
stinacy always  made  him  grossly  unreasonable. 


THE   WAR   OF    THE    STUDENTS.  41 


CHAPTER  IV. 

THE    BATTLE    AT    THE    EAEM-HOTJSE. 

THE  female  companion  of  the  countryman  had 
already  left  the  spot,  and  was  hastening  up  the 
hill,  probably  very  anxious  to  ascertain  the  fate  of  the 
colt.  Major  Tommy  had  made  up  his  mind  to  do 
something  desperate.  He  intended  to  find  his  as- 
sailant, and  then  charge  upon  him  with  the  whole 
battalion ;  at  any  rate  this  was  the  interpretation 
which  we  gave  to  his  words,  looks,  and  gestures.  If 
he  ever  fancied  that  he  was  insulted,  or  if  he  ever 
got  the  worst  of  it  in  any  encounter  in  which  he  was 
himself  the  aggressor,  he  was  not  satisfied  till  he  had 
obtained  full  satisfaction. 

He  was  spiteful  and  revengeful.  Because,  during 
the  military  campaign  of  the  preceding  year,  Wolf 
had  gently  declined  to  obey  an  order  which  involved 
the  danger  of  killing   or  drowning  a  portion  of  the 


42  SWITCH   OFF,    OR 

"Wimpletonians,  he  had  followed  him  up  with  his  spite 
until  our  friend  was  discharged  from  the  employ  of 
the  Lake  Shore  Railroad.  It  was  not  in  his  nature, 
therefore,  to  permit  his  present  assailant  to  escape 
without  inflicting  upon  him  the  full  penalty  of  his 
wrath. 

Fryes,  too,  had  incurred  his  displeasure  by  disobey- 
ing the  major's  unreasonable  order.  But  Briscoe  had 
counselled  him  to  disregard  this  command;  and  our 
senior  captain  was  not  one  who  would  disavow  his 
act  when  the  hour  of  reckoning  came.  lie  would 
stand  by  the  leader  of  the  band ;  and  I  intended  to 
do  so  myself.  The  prospect,  therefore,  of  a  "jolly 
row"  was  very  promising.  I  was  only  sorry  that 
Briscoe  had  finally  given  the  signal  for  Fryes  to  play, 
for  this  had  caused  all  the  real  mischief.  He  told  me 
he  did  so  because  the  colt  seemed  to  be  quiet,  and 
his  driver  held  him  by  the  head,  so  that  he  did  not 
aj)prehend  any  more  danger. 

The  battalion  was  in  order  in  the  road ;  and,  after 
the  major  had  sufficiently  vented  his  indignation,  he 
gave  the  command  to  march.  The  band  played,  and 
we  ascended  the  hill.    On  the  summit  of  it  we  obtained 


THE    WAR    OF    THE    STUDENTS.  43 

a  view  of  the  road  for  a  mile.  In  the  valley  there 
was  a  farm-house,  with  a  drive-way  leading  up  to  the 
barn  in  the  rear.  When  we  were  near  enough,  we 
saw  Tommy's  pony  fastened  to  the  fence  in  front  of 
the  house.  The  colt,,  with  the  truck  of  the  wagon, 
was  in  the  yard.  It  was  evident  that  this  was  the 
home  of  the  countryman,  and  the  fiery  animal  had 
sought  the  friendly  shelter  of  the  stable  to  save  him 
from  the  terrors  of  the  trumpet  and  bass  drum.  So 
far  as  we  could  judge,  no  injury  had  been  done  to 
man  or  beast. 

When  the  head  of  the  battalion  arrived  at  the 
farm-house,  the  major  gave  the  order  to  halt.  His 
first  movement  was  to  mount  his  pony;  and  no  op- 
position to  this  act  was  made  by  the  occupants  of  the 
house.  The  man  in  charge  of  the  colt  detached  him 
from  the  truck,  and  put  him  in  the  barn,  probably  to 
prevent  him  from  being  further  demoralized  by  the 
martial  array,  and  perhaps  to  enable  him  to  meet  the 
major  on  a  better  footing.  While  Tommy  was  mount- 
ing his  horse,  the  man  came  out  of  the  barn,  and 
marched  boldly  up  to  the  one  hundred  and  twenty 
bayonets  which  our  force  presented. 


44  SWITCH    OFF,    OR 

"  It's  lucky  for  you  that  our  colt  wasn't  hurt ;  if  he 
had  been,  I  would  have  taken  it  out  of  your  hide," 
the  countryman  began,  when  he  was  within  hailing 
distance  of  the  major. 

"  What  do  you  mean  by  knocking  me  off  my 
horse  ?  "  responded   Tommy. 

"  What  do  I  mean  ?  If  you  say  much  more,  I'll 
duck  you  in  that  mud-hole  over  there.  You  could 
see  that  the  music  was  scaring  my  colt;  and  I  asked 
you,  in  a  civil  way,  to  stop  it  for  half  a  minute,  till  I 
got  by.  If  you  hadn't  been  a  hog,  you  would  have 
done  so,"  growled  the  rural  gentleman. 

"  I'm  not  going  to  stop  the  music  for  every  clown 
that  comes  along.     You  insulted  me." 

"Iusulted  you!  I'm  letting  you  off  dog  cheap! 
Now,  go  along  about  your  business,  before  I'm  tempted 
to  put  my  claws  upon  you." 

"  Not  yet,"  replied  Tommy,  shaking  his  head  fierce- 
ly.    "  Do  you  know  who  I  am  ?  " 

"  I  don't  care  who  you  are.  If  you  were  the  Grand 
Mogul  himself,  I  should  speak  my  mind.  I  suppose 
you  are  that  young  pup  of  a  Toppleton,  that  has  it 
all  his  own  way  over  to  Middleport ;  but  we  don't 


THE    WAR   OF   THE    STUDENTS.  45 

train  in  that  company,  and  when  you  come  out  here, 
you  must  behave  yourself.  I  reckon  you  haven't  any 
right  to  go  tooting  over  our  roads,  and  frightening 
horses  with  your  racket.  I'll  let  you  off  this  time,  as 
the  colt  isn't  hurt,  and  nobody  else  isn't  hurt." 

"  But  I  don't  mean  to  let  you  off,"  retorted  Tom- 
my, irritated  by  this  plain  speech,  and  especially  by 
the  contempt  manifested  towards  the  house  of  Top- 
pleton. 

"  O,  don't  you ! "  exclaimed  the  young  man,  with  a 
broad  grin. 

"No,  I  don't.      I'll  pay  you  off  for  insulting  me." 

"  Well,  when  you  get  ready,  I  want  you  to  begin," 
chuckled  the  man.  "But,  if  I  have  to  take  hold  of 
you,  I  shall  flop  you  over  two  or  three  times  in  that 
mud-hole,  just  enough  to  take  the  starch  out  of  them 
fine  clothes  you  wear." 

"  Get  down  on  your  knees  and  beg  my  pardon, 
and  I  will  let  you  off,"  said  Tommy,  who  evidently, 
after  the  expressive  speech  of  the  countryman,  did 
not  exactly  relish  the  job  he  had  undertaken. 

"  Well,  that's  a  good  one !  Get  down  on  my 
knees  ?    I  guess  not !     I  never  get  down  on  my  knees, 


46  SWITCH    OFF,   OR 

not  even  when  I  weed  the  onions.  It  wears  out  a 
fellow's  trousers.  If  you  are  not  in  a  hurry,  cap'n,  I 
wish  you  would  wait  just  half  a  minute ;  I've  got 
some  medicine  in  the  barn  that  will  just  fit  your 
case." 

This  specimen  of  the  high-spirited  farmer  rushed 
into  the  barn,  and  presently  returned  with  a  cowhide 
in  one  hand  and  a  pitchfork  in  the  other. 

"  If  I'm  going  to  stand  up  against  the  crowd,  I 
want  this,"  he  added,  sticking  the  tines  into  the  sod. 
"  If  I'm  going  to  deal  with  you  alone,  cap'n,  I  only 
want  this  —  and  the  mud-hole,"  he  continued,  flour- 
ishing the  green  hide.  "  You  can  go  ahead  any  way 
you  like  when  you  are  ready,  cap'n." 

By  this  time,  the  "  women  folks "  from  the  house, 
including  Clarissa,  and  an  elderly  man,  who  appeared 
to  be  the  father  of  the  belligerent  young  man,  had 
assembled  in  the  yard.  The  old  gentleman  had  a 
hoe  in  his  hand,  and  had  come  forward  to  a  point 
within  supporting  distance  of  his  son.  He  looked 
like  a  Bunker  Hill  veteran,  and  regarded  the  threat- 
ening conflict  with  imperturbable  coolness.  Proba- 
bly he  had  already  learned  the  merits  of  the  case,  for 


THE   WAR   OF   THE    STUDENTS.  47 

he  asked  no  questions,  though  he  gave  the  major 
some  sage  advice,  to  the  effect  that  he  had  done  mis- 
chief enough,  and  had  better  go  along  about  his 
business. 

"  Tom's  a  fool ! "  said  Briscoe,  impatiently,  as  we 
stood  watching  the  issue  of  the  controversy.  "  What 
does  he  mean  to  do  ?  " 

"  I  don't  know,"  I  replied ;  "  but  one  stupid  thing 
leads  him  into  another." 

But  we  were  not  left  long  in  doubt  in  regard  to 
what  Tommy  intended  to  do. 

"Captain  Skotchley !"  called  the  major,  in  his  im- 
perative tone. 

I  walked  up  to  him,  and  saluted  with  my  sword. 

"March  your  company  to  the  rear  of  that  rascal, 
and  don't  let  him  get  away." 

"  I  don't  think  he  wants  to  get  away,"  I  replied. 

"Then  punch  him  with  the  bayonets,  and  we  will 
take  him  in  front.     Make  him  a  prisoner." 

"Don't  you  do  it,  Ned,"  said  Briscoe,  in  a  low  tone. 

"  I  must  respectfully  decline  to  obey  the  order,"  I 
answered,  firmly. 

"  You  refuse  ?  "  gasped  the  major. 


48  SWITCH    OFF,    OK 

"I  do." 

"What  do  you  mean?"  howled  Tommy,  so  mad 
that  he  could  hardly  help  crying. 

"Major  Toppleton,  I  think  you  are  all  wrong  in 
this  business,"  I  added.  "  We  have  no  right  to  attack 
that  man." 

"  Do  you  obey  the  orders  of  your  commanding 
officer,  or  not  ?  "  demanded  Tommy. 

"  I  obey  all  reasonable  orders,"  I  replied. 

"  We  will  settle  this  with  you  another  time,"  said 
the  major,  riding  over  to  my  company,  whither  I  fol- 
lowed him. 

I  had  given  him  another  victim  for  the  court  mar- 
tial, and  I  wondered  what  he  would  do  next. 

"  Captain  Skotchley  is  suspended  from  duty,"  con- 
tinued the  major.  "  He  refuses  to  obey  orders.  Lieu- 
tenant Faxon  will  take  command  of  the  second  com- 
pany." 

He  repeated  the  order  to  the  first  lieutenant  as  he 
had  given  it  to  me. 

"I  must  ask  to  be  excused,"  replied  Faxon. 

"  What !  is  there  a  mutiny  in  the  battalion  ?  Then 
Lieutenant  Barnscott  will  command  the  company." 


THE    WAR    OF    THE    STUDENTS.  49 

The  second  lieutenant  had  been  bought  up  by  the 
major,  and  was  a  willing  tool.  The  privates  had 
heard  all  these  proceedings,  and  understood  the  mer- 
its of  the  question.  When  Barnscott  undertook  to 
march  the  company  to  the  spot  assigned  to  it,  the 
majority  refused  to  go. 

"Mutiny!"  shouted  Tommy.  "But  I'll  bring  you 
to  your  senses  !  " 

Twenty  or  twenty-five  of  the  company  followed 
Barnscott ;  the  rest  remained  leaning  on  their  guns 
in  the  road.  Briscoe,  when  the  order  was  given  him 
to  attack  in  front,  followed  my  example ;  but  his 
first  lieutenant  was  one  of  the  major's  adherents,  and 
obeyed  the  order  with  not  more  than  thirty  of  his 
command.  However,  the  attacking  force  was  com- 
posed of  about  fifty,  and  Tommy  was  determined  to 
be  revenged. 

The  little  major's  military  calculations  were  never 
very  brilliant,  and  the  old  man  and  his  son  —  the  latter 
of  whom  seemed  to  regard  the  whole  affair  as  a  pleasant 
joke  —  obstinately  refused  to  be  flanked  by  Company 
B,  and  with  the  hoe  and  pitchfork  kept  the  brave  sol- 
diers  at   bay.      Tommy  moved   up  himself  with   the 


50  SWITCH    OFF,   OR 

first  company,  and  ordered  them  to  charge  upon  the 
young  man  and  capture  him.  Before  this  could  be 
done,  however,  the  "  women  folks "  appeared  with  a 
large  tin  wash-boiler,  filled  with  hot  water. 

"Here,  Jed!"  called  Clarissa,  as  she  presented  the 
young  fellow  with  an  immense  syringe,  used  for 
showering  plants  with  soap  suds  to  destroy  insects. 
"  You  can  fix  'em  in  two  minutes ! " 

Jed  took  the  instrument,  and  filled  it  with  water 
from  the  boiler,  just  as  Company  A  charged  bayonets, 
and  began  to  move  forward.  Directing  it  at  the  ad- 
vancing line,  his  ruddy  face  overspread  with  a  jolly 
grin,  he  let  fly  the  contents  of  the  barrel.  The  old 
lady  and  Clarissa,  with  a  couple  of  dippers,  at  the 
same  time  began  to  operate  independently,  dashing 
the  hot  water  upon  the  column.  The  effect  was  deci- 
sive. The  portions  of  the  two  companies  engaged 
did  not  include  the  best  fellows  in  the  battalion, 
though,  if  they  had,  it  is  doubtful  whether  they  could 
have  stood  up  before  a  charge  of  hot  water.  The 
assailants  broke,  and  retreated  in  disorder.  The  con- 
tents of  Clarissa's  tin  cup,  aimed  at  Tommy,  drove 
him  from  the  field,  and  he  lost  the  battle. 


THE   WAR   OF   THE    STUDENTS.  51 


CHAPTER  V. 

TO   OBEY,   OR   NOT    TO   OBEY. 

I  THINK  our  brave  fellows  were  more  frightened 
than  hurt;  for,  if  the  water  in  the  wash-boiler 
was  hot,  it  was  not  in  condition  to  scald  them  after  it 
had  passed  through  the  cold  syringe.  Some  of  them 
were  a  little  red  in  spots  on  the  face  and  hands;  but, 
as  warriors,  in  this  piping  time  of  peace,  they  had  not 
been  above  dodging,  and,  in  consequence,  none  of 
them  were  seriously  damaged.  Without  using  the 
obnoxious  first  line  of  the  old  couplet,  they  were  in 
condition  to  fight  another  day. 

The  battle  was  certainly  a  very  humorous  one. 
Jecl,  in  spite  of  his  arduous  labors,  was  convulsed 
with  laughter.  Clarissa,  the  pretty  girl,  was  now 
very  rosy,  but  whether  from  her  exertions  with  the 
dipper  or  with  laughing,  I  was  unable  to  determine. 
The  old  farmer  and  his  wife   were  both  in  excellent 


52  SWITCH    OFF,    OK 

humor ;  and  it  was  plain  enough  that  we  were  to  be 
laughed  out  of  the  battle,  if  we  were  not  actually 
driven  off  the  field.  The  mutinous  troops  who  had 
refused  to  take  part  in  the  action  were  quite  as  much 
amused  as  the  people  of  the  farm. 

Major  Tommy  Toppleton  retreated  before  his  routed 
column,  which  followed  him  down  the  road  a  short 
distance.  The  savage  assailants  did  not  offer  to  pur- 
sue their  discomfited  foe,  and  I  had  no  doubt  that  the 
commander  would  call  a  council  of  war  among  his 
friends.  I  did  not  expect  him  to  renew  the  attack 
under  the  present  circumstances,  or,  at  least,  not  till 
the  water  in  the  boiler  had  cooled  off.  Jed  and  his 
father,  however,  carried  the  kettle  into  the  house, 
either  to  enable  the  old  lady  to  continue  her  Mon- 
day morning  operations,  or  to  keep  the  water  hot  for 
another  emergency,  or  possibly  for  both. 

"Well,  Ned,  what  is  going  to  be  the  end  of  all 
this  ?  "  said  Briscoe,  walking  up  to  me,  after  the  storm 
.of  battle  had  subsided. 

"  I  don't  know,"  I  replied.  "  We  must  wait  and  see 
what  Tommy  does.  Of  course  we  are  ready  to  obey 
any  reasonable  orders." 


THE    WAR    OP    THE    STUDENTS.  53 

"  I  am  not  exactly  sure  of  that,  after  what  has  hap- 
pened. Suppose  the  major  wishes  us  to  march  back 
to  Middleport.     Shall  we  go?" 

"I  suppose  we  must,"  I  replied,  rather  dubiously. 
"As  both  of  us  happen  to  be  suspended  just  now,  1 
conclude  that  we  have  nothing  more  to  do  with  this 
business." 

We  sheathed  our  swords  by  mutual  consent,  and 
seated  ourselves  on  the  fence  at  the  side  of  the  road 
to  wait  for  the  "moving  of  the  waters." 

"  What  are  we  to  do  ?  "  asked  Crampton,  one  of  the 
privates  in  my  company. 

"I'm  sure  I  don't  know,"  I  answered,  laughing.  "I 
am  willing  to  obey  all  reasonable  orders,  and  I  suppose 
you  ought  to  do  the  same." 

"We  are  ready  to  stand  by  you,"  added  Dunbokl,  a 
corporal  of  the  first  company. 

"We  have  the  majority,"  said  Sergeant  Langdon, 
suggestively. 

"  We  don't  want  to  make  a  row  yet,"  continued 
Crampton.  "There  will  be  one  about  to-morrow 
noon,  when  we  vote  for  officers.  You  know  the 
balloting  is  to  come  off  then.  It  can  only  be  post- 
poned by  a  vote  of  the  battalion." 


54  SWITCH   OFF,   OE 

"  I  am  suspended  from  duty,  aud  of  course  I  haven't 
anything  to  say,"  I  added. 

"  That's  just  my  case,"  said  Briscoe.  "  I  would 
rather  keep  quiet  till  after  the  election." 

It  was  evident  to  me  that  we  were  on  the  very 
verge  of  the  long-expected  mutiny.  The  president  of 
the  Lake  Shore  Railroad  Company,  and  the  major  of 
the  battalion,  had  ruled  us  with  a  rod  of  iron.  We 
had  borne  it  longer  than  we  intended  ;  and  the  present 
occasion,  when  we  were  beyond  the  reach  of  outside 
influences,  seemed  to  be  favorable  for  the  final  settle- 
ment of  the  matter.  As  students,  we  were  the  equals, 
in  every  respect,  of  Tommy  Tojrpleton,  and  we  were 
determined  to  make  him  treat  us  like  gentlemen. 

While  Briscoe  and  myself  were  discussing  the  situa- 
tion, Sergeant  Hacker,  one  of  the  major's  adherents, 
advanced  towards  us.  He  looked  as  though  he  had 
come  upon  a  desperate  mission,  for  his  lips  were  com- 
pressed, his  eyebrows  knit,  and  his  step  very  decided. 

"Captain  Briscoe." 

"  Sergeant  Hacker." 

"  Major  Toppleton  orders  you  to  march  your  com- 
pany down  the  road,"  continued  the  messenger,  point- 
ing to  the  place  where  Tommy  had  halted. 


THE   WAR   OF   THE    STUDENTS.  55 

"All  right!     I  will  do  so,"  replied  Briscoe. 

The  captain  of  the  first  company  gave  his  orders,  and 
his  command  moved  off,  leaving  my  company  and  the 
band  opposite  the  house.  Hacker  returned  to  the 
major,  but  immediately  appeared  again  with  an  order 
for  me  to  join  the  main  body  with  the  mutinous  por- 
tion of  my  company.  Tommy  looked  wrathful  and 
disgusted,  as  he  always  did  when  he  had  been 
thwarted  in  his  purposes. 

"I  am  glad  that  you  have  concluded  to  obey 
orders,"  said  he,  with  an  obvious  sneer  in  his  tone 
and  manner,  as  I  saluted  him,  after  halting  my  com- 
pany. 

"I  shall  always  be  ready  to  obey  any  reasonable 
order,"  I  replied,  respectfully. 

"Reasonable!  "  exclaimed  he.  "What  do  you  mean 
by  reasonable  ?  " 

"  Involving  anything  which  it  is  proper  for  the  bat- 
talion to  do,"  I  replied. 

"  Who  is  to  determine  whether  it  is  proper  or  not  ?  " 
demanded  Tommy. 

"I  should  say  that  you  were,  in  the  first  place, 
before  you  gave  the  order,"  I  answered,  careful  not 
to  provoke  his  anger. 


56  SWITCH    OFF,    OB 

a  I  should  say  there  was  a  mutiny  in  the  line,"  add- 
ed the  major.  "I  don't  want  to  argue  the  matter 
now.  When  I  give  an  order,  I  intend  to  be  obeyed, 
whether  you  consider  it  reasonable  or  not." 

I  made  no  reply,  and  the  little  major  looked  as 
pompous  as  though  the  question  had  been  forever 
settled.  I  thought  we  could  all  afford  to  wait  until 
the  nest  day  at  noon,  when  the  election  was  to  take 
place  ;  for  it  was  a  sure  thing,  if  the  balloting  was 
fairly  conducted,  that  Tommy  would  be  ousted  from 
his  position,  and  Briscoe  elected  in  his  place.  The 
matter,  so  far  as  the  chief  command  was  concerned, 
was  settled,  and  the  only  question  which  had  not  yet 
been  determined  was  whether  or  not  Tommy  should 
be  elected  to  some  other  office. 

Jed,  his  father,  and  Clarissa  had  taken  position  in 
the  middle  of  the  road,  where  they  could  observe  the 
movements  of  the  battalion.  They  were  evidently 
willing  that  we  should  continue  our  march,  and  I 
hoped  Tommy  would  be  sensible  enough  to  adopt  this 
course,  though  it  was  expecting  rather  too  much  of 
him  to  permit  his  enemy  to  remain  unpunished  for  a 
single  day.     He  wheeled  the  battalion  into  line,  and 


THE    WAR   OF    THE    STUDENTS.  57 

capered  the  sorrel  pony  along  a  couple  of  times  in 
front,  glancing  fiercely  from  his  warriors  to  the  enemy 
before  the  house,  apparently  doubtful  in  regard  to  his 
next  move.  Finally  he  halted,  and  it  was  evident  that 
he  intended  to  make  a  speech. 

"  Fellows,  I  have  been  insulted ! "  said  he,  savagely. 
"  Shall  it  be  said  that  the  whole  battalion  was  beaten 
back  by  two  men  and  two  women  ?  " 

"The  whole  battalion  was  not  beaten  back,"  re- 
torted Corporal  Dunbold. 

"  Silence  in  the  ranks ! "  exclaimed  the  major. 
"Will  you  stand  by  me,  or  not?" 

"  We  will ! "  shouted  Tommy's  adherents ;  but  the 
rest  of  the  line  said  nothing. 

"I  thought  you  would.  I  was  not  willing  to  be- 
lieve that  my  fellows  would  desert  me  when  I  wanted 
them  most.  I'm  going  to  give  that  Jed  a  mauling; 
if  I  don't,  there  will  be  some  bones  broken  some- 
where." 

Tommy  was  rapidly  lashing  himself  into  a  fury,  and 
would  soon  be  in  condition  to  undertake  a  desperate 
enterprise.  I  did  not  think  he  would  face  the  hot 
water  again ;  but  the  foe  still  stood  in  the  road,  seem- 


58  SWITCH    OFF,    OK, 

ingly  unconscious  of  peril,  and  the  sight  of  them  was 
raising  the  major's  blood  to  the  boiling  point.  "What 
could  he  do  ?  Being  only  a  boy  myself,  though  I 
claimed  to  be  a  gentleman  at  the  same  time,  I  was 
curious  to  see  the  issue  of  the  adventure,  while  I  was 
firmly  resolved  to  take  no  part  in  it,  even  if  I  was 
court-martialed,  and  dismissed  the  service  for  dis- 
obedience. 

Ever  since  the  battle  on  the  Horse  Shoe,  Tommy 
had  been  in  favor  of  flank  movements.  Wolf  Penni- 
man,  though  no  soldier,  had  taught  him  a  lesson  in 
tactics  which  he  had  not  learned  before.  In  fact, 
Wolf  seemed  to  have  the  tact  to  manage  almost  any 
difficult  case.  I  saw  the  major  survey  the  locality  of 
the  barn,  in  the  rear  of  the  house,  and  the  fields 
adjoining.  I  had  no  doubt  he  was  planning  a  diver- 
sion. 

"  Captain  Skotchley,  you  will  march  your  company 
through  this  field  to  the  rear  of  the  barn,  and  there 
await  further  orders,"  said  Tommy,  addressing  me, 
with  a  flourish  of  his  sword  to  point  out  the  lot 
through  which  I  was  to  pass. 

The  field  indicated  was  ejreen  with  new  wheat,  and 


THE   WAR   OF   THE    STUDENTS.  59 

to  march  through  it  would  be  to  inflict  serious  injury 
upon  the  farmer.  I  at  once  came  to  the  conclusion 
that  the  order  was  an  unreasonable  one. 

"  That  is  a  wheat  field,  Major  Toppleton,"  I  mildly 
suggested,  though  I  knew  very  well  that  my  remark 
would  have  no  weight  with  the  headstrong  young 
magnate. 

"  What  of  it  ?  "   demanded  he. 

"Marching  through  that  field  will  damage  the 
wheat." 

"I  don't  care  if  it  does!  It  belongs  to  this  old 
farmer,  whose  son  insulted  me.  He  takes  his  son's 
part,  and  he  must  also  bear  the  consequences." 

"But  he  can  prosecute  you  in  the  court  for  trespass, 
and  make  you  pay  the  damage." 

"  I  don't  care  for  the  damage.  I'm  going  to  be  even 
with  that  fellow  before  I  leave  this  place." 

"I  would  rather  not  take  part  in  doing  this  mis- 
chief," I  replied. 

"I  suppose  you  mean  to  say  that  my  order  is  an 
unreasonable  one." 

"  I  did  not  put  it  in  just  that  form,  but  that  is  what 
I  mean." 


60  SWITCH   OFF,   OR 

"I  suspended  you  once,  Captain  Skotchley." 

"I  am  aware  that  you  did." 

"  As  you  obeyed  my  next  order,  I  was  going  to  let 
it  pass,  and  say  nothing  more  about  it,"  said  Tommy, 
biting  his  lips. 

"I  will  obey  any  and  every  order  which  comes 
within  the  line  of  my  duty." 

"A  soldier  should  obey  his  superior  without  any 
question,"  retorted  the  major. 

"Not  always,"  I  replied. 

"  Yes,  always ! "  exclaimed  Tommy,  fiercely. 

"  Suppose  the  colonel  of  the  regiment,  in  a  time  of 
peace,  should  order  one  of  his  captains  to  shoot  ten 
men  of  his  company,"  I  suggested,  calling  up  a  sup- 
position which  had  been  used  in  the  lecture-room  of 
the  Institute. 

"  That  is  not  a  supposable  case." 

"  The  colonel  might  be  attacked  with  sudden  in- 
sanity." 

"  Do  you  mean  to  say  I  am  insane  ? " 

"  I  did  not  say  anything  of  the  kind.  Our  lecturer 
on  military  tactics  was  willing  to  grant  that  there 
could  be  instances  when  the  inferior  was  not  bound 


THE    WAR    OF    THE    STUDENTS.  61 

to  obey  the  superior  —  nay,  where  it  was  his  duty  to 
disobey  him." 

"  If  there  are  such  cases,  this  is  not  one  of  them," 
growled  Tommy. 

"  I  think  it  is.  The  battalion  is  out  upon  a  tour  of 
camp  duty ;  and  in  everything  relating  to  that  I  will 
obey  orders.  But  I  won't  have  anything  to  do  with 
avenging  fancied  insults." 

"Then  you  think  that  pulling  me  off  my  horse,  and 
pitching  me  into  the  dirt,  is  only  a  fancied  insult?" 
sneered  Tommy. 

"  That  was  only  part  of  the  affair,"  I  replied.  "  You 
ought  to  prosecute  the  man  in  court.  You  have  no 
right  to  take  the  law  into  your  own  hands." 

"  Shut  up ! "  snapped  Tommy,  as  he  rode  away  from 
me  in  disgust. 


62  SWITCH   OFF,   OB 


CHAPTER  VI. 

THE    BATTLE    IN"    THE    WHEAT    FIELD. 

^OMMY  had  been  talking  with  Haven,  the  first 
lieutenant  of  Company  A,  who  was  a  reckless 
and  unprincipled  fellow,  and  it  was  probable  that  he 
had  indicated  a  plan  by  which  Jed  might  be  properly 
punished  for  his  temerity.  The  order  I  refused  to 
obey  directed  me  to  march  to  the  rear  of  the  barn, 
and  there  await  further  instructions.  The  next  com- 
mand would  have  been  to  capture  the  fiery  colt,  pull 
down  the  cow-shed,  or  assault  the  hens  and  chickens 
—  something  to  make  a  row  which  would  divert  the 
attention  of  the  farmer's  family,  and  call  them  to  the 
scene  of  action.  Then  the  first  company  would  doubt- 
less have  been  ordered  to  march  up  to  the  front  of 
the  house,  empty  out  the  hot  water  in  the  wash- 
boiler,  capture  the  garden  syringe,  and  lie  in  wait 
for  the  awful  Jed. 


THE   WAB   OF   THE    STUDENTS.  63 

Major  Toppleton  rode  up  to  Briscoe,  and  repeated 
the  order  he  had  given  to  me.  Of  course  the  cap- 
tain of  the  first  company  refused  to  obey.  He  was 
a  sensible  fellow,  and  knew  that  boys  who  were  merely 
playing  soldier  would  not  be  justified  in  doing  mis- 
chief which  could  only  have  been  tolerated  in  time 
of  war,  upon  urgent  necessity.  Tommy  was  as  much 
in  earnest  as  though  the  country  had  been  invaded 
by  a  warlike  host,  and  its  salvation  depended  upon 
the  energy  of  his  movements. 

"  Captains  Briscoe  and  Skotchley  are  suspended  from 
further  duty,  and  will  consider  themselves  under  ar- 
rest," said  the  little  major,  pompously.  "They  shall  be 
tried  by  court  martial  when  we  halt  at  noon  to-day." 

Tommy  then  gave  his  order  to  march  to  the  rear 
of  the  barn  to  Faxon,  the  first  lieutenant  of  my  com- 
pany. He  followed  my  example,  and  Barnscott  was 
placed  in  command.  He  was  ready  to  obey  any 
orders,  no  matter  what  they  were.  He  would  have 
set  the  barn  on  fire,  if  Tommy  had  told  him  to  do 
eo.  He  gave  the  necessary  commands  for  moving 
the  company  towards  the  field,  but  only  the  twenty- 
five  who  had  obeyed  him  before  were  willing  to  do 


64  SWITCH    OFF,    OR 

so  now.  Tommy  stormed,  and  even  swore,  after  the 
manner  of  Ms  father  in  such  emergencies;  but  the 
rest  of  the  company,  thirty-five  in  number,  were  as 
resolute  as  their  suspended  officers,  and  refused  to 
move  into  the  field. 

The  moment  the  fellows  began  to  leap  over  the 
fence,  the  old  man  and  Jed  rushed  forward  to  pre- 
vent the  mischief.  They  yelled  with  a  vigor  which 
did  credit  to  their  lungs,  and,  with  clubs  in  their 
hands,  placed  themselves  in  the  way  of  the  advan- 
cing column.  They  were  not  content  merely  to  stand 
before  the  troops ;  but  they  commenced  a  furious 
attack  upon  them  with  the  sticks  in  their  'hands. 
Though  bayonets  are  generally  awkward  weapons  to 
run  upon,  the  old  man  and  his  son  did  not  seem  to 
hold  them  in  terror. 

Tommy,  furiously  excited  by  this  actual  warfare, 
ordered  the  first  company  to  march  to  the  front  of 
the  house.  At  this  movement  Clarissa  rushed  into 
the  house  ;  but  she  presently  appeared  with  the  old 
lady,  bearing  the  boiler  of  hot  water.  The  women 
were  quite  as  belligerent  as  the  men,  and  a  few  clip- 
pers of  hot  soap  suds  compelled  the  brave  boys  of 


THE    WAR   OF    THE    STUDENTS.  65 

Company  A  to  retreat  into  the  road  again.  But  Ha- 
ven, the  master  spirit  of  mischief,  led  his  hot-water- 
battered  forces  over  the  fence  above  the  house  into 
the  farmer's  garden,  and  moved  towards  the  rear  of 
the  barn,  doing  no  little  damage  to  beets,  carrots, 
cabbages,  and  peas. 

In  the  mean  time,  the  old  man  and  his  son  were 
fighting  a  very  unequal  battle  with  Company  B  —  two 
against  twenty-five.  In  the  struggle,  the  young  wheat 
was  trodden  down,  and  the  ground  torn  up  by  the 
feet  of  the  combatants.  Briscoe  and  I  were  appalled 
at  the  probable  consequences  of  the  strife.  A  thrust 
of  a  bayonet  might  kill  Jed  or  his  father ;  while,  at 
the  best,  our  fellows  were  making  fearful  havoc  in  the 
grain  field. 

"  Skotchley,  this  is  rascally ! "  exclaimed  Briscoe. 

"  I  know  it,"  I  replied,  with  no  little  feeling,  for  I 
was  disgusted  with  the  strife. 

.  "I  don't  know  but  we  are  just  as  guilty  in  look- 
ing on  as  we  should  be  if  we  took  part  in  it.  I  am 
willing,  for  one,  to  go  in  and  stop  this  thing." 

"So  am  I." 

"  We    are    going    to    stop    this    thing,    fellows  ! " 
5 


66  SWITCH    OFF,    OR 

shouted  Briscoe,  with  energy.  "  Will  you  stand 
by  us?" 

"Yes,  yes!"  replied  the  line. 

"Hold  on  a  minute,  Briscoe,"  I  interposed,  as  a 
bright  thought  flashed  upon  my  mind.  "  Where  is 
Fryes  ?  " 

"  Here  he  is.     Fryes ! "  called  Briscoe. 

"  Blow  the  retreat,"  I  added,  as  the  leader  of  the 
band  presented  himself,  with  his  bugle  in  his  hand. 

Although  this  was  not  exactly  a  piece  of  infantry 
tactics,  we  had  practised  it  in  our  studies,  and  the 
bugle  call  was  well  known  to  all  the  troops.  Indeed, 
we  had  been  taught  the  drill  and  evolutions  of  all 
arms  of  the  service.  Fryes  blew  the  refrain,  and  it 
was  heard  by  both  of  the  companies,  or  rather  the 
fragments  of  them  which  were  in  the  field  and  behind 
the  barn.  Tommy,  being  on  his  horse,  had  been  un- 
able to  follow  either  detachment  to  the  service  upon 
which  he  had  ordered  them.  The  troops  who  were 
engaged  with  the  farmer  and  his  son,  in  the  wheat 
field,  appeared  to  receive  the  bugle  blast  as  a  wel- 
come sound,  for,  without  waiting  for  any  orders  from 
their  officers,  they  made  haste  to  get  over  the  fence 


THE    "WAR    OE    THE    STUDENTS.  67 

into  the  road.  The  conflict  had  begun  to  flag  in  this 
quarter,  and  our  fellows  were  certainly  getting  the 
worst  of  it. 

I  do  not  wish  to  have  it  understood  that  this  fight- 
ing was  very  perilous  to  either  party,  for  both  took 
particular  care  to  keep  out  of  each  other's  way.  It 
was  simply  running  up  and  running  back  again, 
though  one  or  two  of  our  boys  got  a  rap  from  the 
stick  in  the  hands  of  Jed.  If  the  conflict  had  con- 
tinued a  few  moments  longer,  I  think  they  would 
have  been  driven  out  of  the  field.  But  I  was  afraid 
some  accident  would  happen  to  somebody. 

By  the  time  the  second  company  had  scaled  the 
fence,  the  other  appeared,  coming  at  the  double-quick 
towards  the  road,  without  any  regard  to  the  safety 
and  future  welfare  of  young  beets,  cabbages,  and  other 
garden  vegetables.  Major  Tommy  began  to  fly  around 
on  his  little  steed,  for  I  learned  that  he  had  just  sent 
a  message  to  Haven,  in  the  rear  of  the  barn,  to  march 
into  the  wheat  field,  and  take  the  old  man  and  his 
son  in  the  rear,  intending  to  surround  and  capture 
them.  Of  course,  when  he  saw  his  carefully  laid  plan, 
defeated,  he  was  angry  and  excited,  as  usual. 


68  SWITCH    OFF,    OE 

"  Who  blew  that  retreat  ? "  demanded  he,  fiercely, 
as  he  galloped  his  steed  up  to  the  place  where  Fryes 
stood. 

"I. did,"  replied  the  chief  musician,  blandly. 

"What  did  you  do  that  for?" 

"  I  was  trying  my  bugle." 

"  Trying  your  bugle  !  I  will  give  you  a  lesson  be- 
fore I  have  done  with  you." 

"  A  lesson  on  the  bugle  ?  "  asked  Fryes. 

"  None  of  your  impudence  ! "  exclaimed  Tommy, 
flourishing  his  sword  as  though  he  intended  again  to 
inflict  corporal  chastisement  upon  the  musician. 

But  the  little  major  did  not  mean  anything  of  the 
kind.  Rash  as  he  was,  he  had  a  certain  degree  of 
prudence  which  did  not  permit  him  to  hit  the  wrong 
person.  If  Tommy  had  struck  him  again,  he  would 
have  been  on  the  ground  in  the  twinkling  of  an  eye ; 
for  Fryes  was  a  high-spirited  fellow,  who  would  not 
endure  a  second  blow,  especially  from  Tommy,  whom 
he  despised  as  a  tyrant. 

"I  beg  your  pardon  if  I  said  anything  impudent, 
major.  I  only  answered  your  question,"  replied  Fryes, 
with  his  usual  gravity. 


THE    WAR    OF    THE    STUDENTS.  69 

"Don't  you  blow  that  bugle  again  without  orders 
from  me." 

The  leader  of  the  band  did  not  even  suggest  that 
he  had  received  an  order  from  me  to  sound  the  re- 
treat. He  was  always  willing  to  take  the  responsi- 
bility; but  Briscoe  and  I  were  ready  to  share  it 
with  him. 

"  Barnscott !  "  called  the  major. 
The  lieutenant  of  the  second  company,  who  had 
gathered  his  weary  warriors  near  the  spot  where  I 
stood,  marched  up  to  the  major,  and  saluted  him. 
He  was  still  out  of  breath  with  the  violence  of  his 
exertions  in  the  field,  or  rather  with  the  haste  of  his 
retreat,  for  his  party  had  been  closely  pursued  by  the 
old  man  and  his  son. 

"March  your  company  back,  and  don't  mind  the 
bugle  again." 

"Major  Toppleton,  this  thing  has  gone  far  enough," 
said  Briscoe,  stepping  up  to  the  little  major. 
"  What  do  you  mean  by  that,  Briscoe  ?  " 
"  I  mean  to  say,  for  one,  that  I  won't  stand  by  any 
longer  and  see  the  farmer's  crop  destroyed." 
"I  say  it,  for  another,"  I  added. 


70  SWITCH    OFF,    OK 

<c  So  say  we  all  of  us ! "  shouted  the  fellows  in  the 
line  who  had  supported  Briscoe  and  myself. 

"  Do  you  command  this  battalion  ? "  demanded 
Tommy. 

"  I  command  some  of  it,"  answered  the  senior 
captain. 

"  And  I  command  some  more  of  it,"  I  added. 

"What  are  yon  going  to  do  about  it?"  continued 
Tommy,  angrily. 

"  We  are  going  to  protect  the  farmer,"  replied 
Briscoe. 

"  I  should  like  to  see  you  do  it ! "  said  Tommy, 
shaking  his  head.     "You  have  yonr  orders,  Barnscott." 

Tommy  rode  up  to  the  other  company,  which  had 
halted  in  the  road  on  the  front  of  the  house,  evi- 
dently for  the  purpose  of  sending  it  back  of  the  barn 
again. 

"  Skotchley,  you  have  thirty-five  men,  and  I  have 
only  thirty,"  said  Briscoe,  beginning  now  to  be  ex- 
cited by  the  job  we  had  jointly  undertaken.  "  You 
look  out  for  Company  A,  and  I  will  look  out  for 
Company  B.  Let's  not  have  a  fight,  if  we  can 
help  it." 


THE    WAR    OF    THE    STUDENTS.  71 

"All  right.     I  will  do  the  best  I  can,"  I  replied. 

Briscoe  was  a  veteran,  for  he  had  been  the  lead- 
ing spirit  in  the  battle  on  the  Horse  Shoe.  With  a 
few  hasty  orders,  and  a  sharp  movement,  he  placed 
his  men  between  Barnscott's  command  and  the  wheat 
field.  At  the  same  time,  I  marched  my  men  up  to- 
wards the  garden  fence. 

"  Halt ! "  shouted  Tommy,  as  he  saw  what  I  in- 
tended to  do.  "  Why  don't  you  halt  when  I  tell 
you?" 

We  concluded  not  to  halt,  and  reached  the  posi- 
tion to  which  Briscoe  had  assigned  us.  Fryes  had 
followed  me,  for  we  were  the  best  of  friends.  I  think, 
if  he  had  not  kept  an  eye  on  the  major,  the  irate 
commander  would  have  pitched  into  me.  We  were 
now  in  the  order  of  battle,  both  above  and  below 
the  house ;  but  I  hoped  that  Tommy  would  not  pro- 
ceed to  extremities,  in  the  face  of  so  many  difficulties. 


72  SWITCH    OFF,    OR 


CHAPTER  VII. 

TOMMY   YIELDS   A   POINT. 

\HE  situation  was  not  favorable  to  the  success  of 
Tommy's  project.  Briscoe  and  I  had  moved 
our  companies  with  so  much  celerity  that  we  had 
the  "  inside  track."  The  major  himself  and  his  adhe- 
rents appeared  to  be  in  a  measure  paralyzed  by  our 
sudden  operations ;  and  we  had  placed  our  men  be- 
tween the  assailants  and  the  objects  of  their  ire.  We 
were  fully  determined  to  prevent*  any  further  trespass 
upon  the  jn'emises  0f  the  farmer.  I  must  repeat, 
too,  that  all  the  better  portion  of  the  battalion  were 
in  our  ranks ;  for  it  will  readily  be  understood  that 
Tommy's  force  consisted  only  of  his  toadies,  —  in 
short,  of  those  who  had  not  pluck  enough  to  array 
themselves  in  opposition  to  the  little  major's  tyranny. 
We  did  not  expect  to  be  called  upon  to  fight  those 
who  still    adhered    to    Tommy's    cause.      We    knew 


THE    WAE    OF    THE    STUDENTS.  73 

they  had  not  the  courage  to  attack  us  in  earnest. 
For  my  own  part,  I  intended  simply'  to  head 
them  off  if  they  attempted  to  enter  the  farmer's 
garden  again.  We  were  superior  in  numbers,  as  we 
were  in  spirit ;  and  we  could  have  closed  with  our 
opponents,  man  for  man,  taken  them  in  our  arms,  and 
borne  them  away  from  the  field  of  strife. 

Jed  had  come  out  to  the  house  to  see  what  was 
going  on  there,  when  the  marauders  abandoned  the 
field  of  wheat.  The  old  man  still  remained  there. 
Jed  was  not  in  good  humor,  and,  as  he  approached 
the  place  where  my  command  was  posted,  he  mani- 
fested a  disposition  to  break  things,  and  I  was  not 
sure  that  he  would  not  pitch  into  us,  not  compre- 
hending the  nature  of  the  combination  in  his  favor. 
The  women  still  stood  by  their  wash-boiler,  in  battle 
array. 

"  Now  you  can  make  tracks ! "  shouted  Jed,  as  he 
approached  me,  with  clinched  fists,  and  a  wrathful 
expression  on  his  red  face. 

"I  should  like  to  speak  to  you  a  moment,  if  you 
please,"  I  began,  in  a  respectful  way. 

"  I    don't  want   any  talk  with    you !     You've  done 


74  SWITCH    OFF,    OK 

mischief  enough,  and  somebody's  got  to  pay  for  it. 
If  you  don't  travel  pretty  soon,  there'll  be  some  bones 
broken  round  here." 

"  I  have  done  the  best  I  could  to  save  you  from 
trouble,  Jed.  I  have  placed  my  men  here  to  prevent 
any  of   the  fellows  from  coming  into  your  grounds." 

"  Is  that  so  ?  "  asked  Jed,  opening  his  eyes. 

"  You  saw  that  the  greater  part  of  the  battalion 
refused  to  attack  you." 

"  Well,  I  did  see  that  some  of  them   hung  back." 

"  More  than  half  of  them.  Briscoe,  down  there, 
will  not  let  any  one  into  your  wheat  field,  and  I  will 
keep  them  out  of  your  garden." 

"  I  wish  you  had  begun  sooner,  then." 

"  We  didn't  know  what  the  major  meant  to  do  till 
he  did  it." 

« I'm  going  to  cowhide  that  major." 

"  I  wouldn't  attempt  to  do  anything  of  the  kind," 
I  continued.  "  He  is  the  son  of  Major  Toppleton,  of 
Middleport.  His  father  will  pay  for  the  damage  his 
son  has  done,  if  you  let  the  matter  rest  where  it  is." 

"  No,  sir  !  I  won't  do  it !  I  will  take  it  out  of  his 
hide.     You    haven't  any  right  to  go  marching  about 


THE    WAR   OF    THE    STUDENTS.  75 

the  country  scaring  horses.  I'm  going  to  wallop  that 
young  cub,  and  teach  him  manners." 

"  "We  did  the  best  we  could  to  stop  the  band,  and 
we  did  stop  it  for  a  time,  till  we  thought  you  had 
the  colt  where  you  could  handle  him,"  I  explained. 

"  I  don't  find  any  fault  with  you,  if  you  have  clone 
this ;  but  that  little  popinjay  on  the  pony  don't  get 
off  without  a  thrashing,  if  I'm  able  to  give  him 
one ;  and  I  reckon  I  can  lick  the  whole  crowd  of 
these  boys." 

"  I  advise  you  to  keep  quiet ;  make  up  your  dam- 
ages, and  send  the  bill  to  Major  Toppleton." 

"  No ;  I'm  going  to  thrash  that  young  cub,"  added 
Jed. 

"  We  can't  stand  by  and  let  you  whip  our  chief 
officer.  We  will  keep  him  from  doing  you  any  fur- 
ther damage ;    but  you  must  let  him  alone." 

"I  don't  know  about  that,"  said  Jed,  shaking  his 
head. 

By  this  time,  the  old  farmer,  seeing  that  no  further 
mischief  was  likely  to  be  done  to  the  wheat  field, 
came  up  to  the  house.  He  and  Jed  talked  together ; 
and   the    latter,  perhaps  counselled   to   do  so  by  his 


76  SWITCH    OFF,    OR 

father,  refrained  from  his  threatened  attack  upon 
Tommy.  Everything  was  quiet  along  the  line.  Our 
intervention  seemed  to  be  an  entire  success.  Tommy 
was  in  a  quandary,  and  was  holding  a  consultation 
with  Haven,  his  right-hand  man,  on  the  other  side 
of  the  street.  The  situation  looked  trying  and  diffi- 
cult to  him,  without  any  doubt,  and  his  principal 
adviser  seemed  to  be  unable  to  afford  him  any  relief. 
They  were  discussing  the  matter  very  earnestly,  and 
there  appeared  to  be  some  difference  of  opinion  be- 
tween them.  I  judged  that  Tommy  wanted  to  fight 
it  out  on  that  line,  while  Haven  was  disposed  to  defer 
the  final  settlement  to  a  more  fitting  season. 

We  waited  2^tiently  f°r  tbe  result  of  this  inter- 
view, though  Faxon,  the  first  lieutenant  of  Company 
B,  agreed  with  me  that  there  was  little  danger  of 
the  renewal  of  the  conflict.  When  we  were  getting 
a  little  tired  of  the  delay,  a  messenger  came  to  me, 
and  said  that  Lieutenant  Haven  desired  to  confer 
with  Briscoe  and  myself.  I  was  willing  to  meet  him, 
and  was  curious  to  know  what  he  had  to  say;  but 
the  captain  of  the  first  company  refused  to  leave  his 
command  unless  Barnscott's  force  was  ordered  away 
from  the  vicinity  of  the  wheat  field. 


THE   WAR   OF    THE    STUDENTS.  77 

In  answer  to  this  objection  Tommy  graciously  or- 
dered the  detachment  of  Barnscott  to  join  that  of 
Haven,  which  was  posted  near  me.  I  was  not  quite 
satisfied  with  this  arrangement,  for  it  placed  a  force 
of  sixty  in  a  situation  to  charge  upon  me  the  instant 
negotiations  failed.  I  therefore  requested  Briscoe  to 
place  his  command  within  supporting  distance  of  me, 
which  he  did.  Jed  and  his  father  had  seated  them- 
selves on  a  log  before  the  house,  and  appeared  to  be 
watching  the  proceedings  with  curiosity  and  interest. 

Briscoe  and  I  met  Haven  in  the  middle  of  the 
road,  between  the  two  divisions  of  the  battalion, 
where  each  could  repair  to  his  command  if  there  was 
any  alarm.  Tommy  sat  upon  his  horse  at  a  little  dis- 
tance from  the  spot,  looking  glum  and  dissatisfied. 
I  was  rather  surprised  that  he  took  the  matter  so 
tamely.  I  concluded  that  Haven,  who  was  an  adroit 
and  cunning  fellow,  had  some  plan  of  his  OAvn  which 
he  intended  to  carry  out.  Probably  the  approaching 
election  had  some  influence  with  both  of  them. 

"  I  am  directed  by  Major  Toppleton  to  confer  with 
you  in  regard  to  your  intentions,"  said  Haven,  look- 
ing from  Briscoe  to  me. 


78  SWITCH   OFF,   OR 

"  We  have  sufficiently  indicated  our  intentions  al- 
ready, I  think,"  replied  Briscoe.  "  We  did  not  come 
out  on  this  trip  for  the  purpose  of  injuring  the  prop- 
erty of  the  farmers.  After  Major  Toppleton's  blazing 
speech  this  morning  about  behaving  like  gentle- 
men, we  didn't  expect  to  see  him  making  war  upon 
wheat  fields  and  gardens." 

"  If  you  think  it  is  all  right  for  a  clown  to  pull 
the  major  from  his  horse,  and  pitch  him  into  the  dirt, 
you  are  welcome  to  your  opinion.  I  don't  think  so," 
retorted  Haven.  "  I'm  willing  to  stand  by  my  com- 
mander when  he  is  abused,  and  I  don't  think  much 
of  any  fellow  who  isn't." 

"  You  are  as  welcome  to  your  opinion  as  I  am  to 
mine.     The  major  was  wrong  from  the  beginning." 

"  We  won't  talk  about  that,"  added  Haven,  with  a 
sneer.  "  I  only  want  to  know  what  you  are  going 
to  do." 

"  We  are  going  to  do  what  we  think  is  right." 

"  What  do  you  think  is  right  ?  "  inquired  the  am- 
bassador. "  Do  you  think  it  is  right  to  get  up  a 
mutiny  in  the  battalion  ?  " 

"  I  do,  when  the  commanding  officer  so  far  forgets 


THE    WAR    OF    THE    STUDENTS.  79 

himself  as  to  trespass  upon  private  property,"  replied 
Briscoe. 

"  Major  Toppleton  proposes  to  march  back  to  Mid- 
dleport,"  added  Haven,  evidently  thinking  this  threat 
would  bring  us  back  to  our  senses. 

"  Very  well,"  answered  Briscoe. 

"  Do  you  intend  to  obey  an  order  to  that  effect  ?  " 
demanded  the  messenger. 

Briscoe  looked  at  me,  as  if  he  was  in  doubt.  I  was 
certainly  undecided. 

"  I  am  not  prepared  to  answer  that  question  with- 
out consulting  others,"  replied  the  senior  captain, 
choosing  the  safe  course. 

"  We  will  obey  an  order  to  march  in  the  direction 
of  Hitaca,"  I  interposed.  "  When  Major  Toppleton 
comes  back  to  his  duty,  we  will  obey  him  in  all  things 
as  usual ;  but  we  will  not  be  used  in  trampling  down 
anybody's  garden." 

"  I  agree  entirely  with  Captain  Skotchley,"  said 
Briscoe. 

"  You  seem  to  have  taken  the  affairs  of  the  bat- 
talion wholly  into  your  own  hands,"  sneered  Haven. 

"  I  haven't  anything  further  to  say,"  replied  Briscoe, 
with  dignity. 


80  SWITCH    OFF,    OR 

"  I  will  report  what  you  say  to  Major  Toppleton," 
said  the  messenger,  sourly,  as  he  turned  and  walked 
away  to  the  spot  where  Tommy  was  impatiently 
waiting  the  result  of  the  parley. 

The  report  of  the  ambassador  was  not  likely  to  be 
satisfactory  to  the  major.  We  were  soon  able  to  see 
that  it  was  not  so.  A  long  and  earnest  discussion 
between  Tommy  and  his  right-hand  man  ensued. 
Haven  was  evidently  counselling  that  discretion  which 
is  the  better  part  of  valor,  or  there  could  have  been 
no  difference  of  opinion  between  them.  It  was  hard 
for  the  little  magnate  to  yield  a  point,  even  for  a  time. 
His  own  friends  would  not  be  willing  to  abandon  the 
tour  of  camp  duty. 

"  What  do  you  think  he  will  do  ?  "  asked  Briscoe. 

"  I  don't  know ;  but  I  am  certain  that  you  and  I 
must  be  punished  for  what  we  have  done,"  I  re- 
plied. 

"  I  don't  intend  to  be  punished,"  added  Briscoe. 
"We  have  the  majority  on  our  side,  and  we  can  have 
it  all  our  own  way  if  we  choose." 

"  I  am  in  favor  of  obeying  orders  when  they  are 
proper." 


THE    WAR    OE    THE    STUDENTS.  81 

"So  am  I." 

"  Here  comes  Haven  again.  I  suppose  something 
more  is  to  be  said,"  I  continued,  as  the  messenger 
again  advanced  towards  us. 

The  lieutenant  came  up  to  us,  and  saluted  in  mili- 
tary form.  I  sincerely  hoped  that  he  had  a  message 
of  peace. 

"  Major  Toppleton  directs  me  to  say  that  he  is  en- 
tirely dissatisfied  with  your  proceedings,"  Haven  be- 
gan. "  He  says  that  he  shall  hold  the  two  captains 
responsible  for  their  own  disobedience,  and  for  en- 
couraging mutiny  on  the  part  of  the  men.  He  is 
unwilling  to  disappoint  those  who  have  faithfully 
obeyed  his  orders,  or  he  would  march  the  battalion 
back  to  Middleport.  He  desires  to  have  it  under- 
stood that  his  present  action  will  not  save  the  offend- 
ers from  future  trial  and  punishment.  At  his  own 
convenience  he  will  order  a  court  martial." 

Briscoe  smiled,  and  so  did  I,  as  Tommy's  favorite 
idea  came  up  to  the  surface  again.  We  Avere  to  be 
the  victims  of  a  court  martial,  after  all !  Haven  sa- 
luted again,  turned  squarely  on  his  heel,  and  walked 
back  to  the  mnjor's  position. 
6 


82  SWITCH   OFF,   OB 


CHAPTER  VIII.    . 

THE    FIRE    IN   THE    FARM-HOUSE. 

\OMMY  TOPPLETON  had  certainly  clone  what 
I  had  never  known  him  to  clo  before  —  he  had 
yielded  a  point.  Though  lie  distinctly  stated,  through 
his  messenger,  that  he  held  Briscoe  and  myself  re- 
sponsible for  the  trouble,  and  intended  to  court-mar- 
tial us'at  the  first  convenient  opportunity,  he  had  still 
abandoned  his  position  ;  for,  as  nearly  as  I  could 
judge  by  appearances,  he  intended  to  continue  the 
march,  and  let  the  obdurate  young  farmer  rest  in  peace 
for  the  present. 

"Attention  —  battalion!"  shouted  the  major,  after 
a  short  conference  with  his  right-hand  man. 

The  fragments  of  the  body  obeyed  the  order,  and 
gave  attention  ;  but  they  did  not  form  in  single  line, 
as  usual.  Tommy's  adherents  formed  by  themselves, 
and  the  mutinous  portion  did  the  same.     The  major 


THE    WAR   OF    THE    STUDENTS.  83 

gave  an  order  to  unite  the  discordant  elements,  and 
probably  the  order  would  have  been  obeyed  if  a  third 
disturbing  element  had  not  at  this  moment  appeared. 
My  attention  was  attracted  to  the  house  by  the 
screams  of  the  old  lady.  I  saw  her  rushing  with 
frantic  energy  towards  the  open  door,  from  which 
a  volume  of  black  smoke  was  issuing. 

Jed  and  his  father  had  been  seated  on  a  log  for 
some  time,  watching  the  proceedings  of  the  battalion. 
I  suppose  they  did  not  wish  to  have  the  unequal  con- 
flict renewed,  and  doubtless  Jed  concluded  that  he 
had  better  profit  by  the  good  advice  I  had  given. 
The  two  women  had  taken  position  near  the  men, 
and  had  watched  our  movements  with  interest  and 
curiosity.  The  old  lady  apj^eared  to  have  been  the 
first  one  to  discover  the  smoke.  She  was  followed, 
in  her  rush  to  the  scene  of  danger,  by  the  two  men 
and  the  pretty  girl.  As  may  well  be  supposed,  all 
of  them  were   alarmed,  for  the  house  was  on  fire. 

Jed  was  the  first  to  reach  the  door,  and  to  enter 
the  house,  outspeeding  his  mother  in  the  advance. 
He  went  in,  but  the  dense  volume  of  smoke  was  too 
much  for  him,  and  he  was  compelled  to  retreat.     He 


84  SWITCH   OFF,    OK 

came  out  rubbing  his  eyes,  which  were  blinded  by  the 
smoke.  Then  his  father  rushed  in  at  the  open  door; 
but  he  was  driven  back  as  hastily  as  his  son  had  been. . 

"  Fire !  Fire !  "  yelled  Jed,  when  he  had  in  some 
measure  recovered  from  the  effects  of  his  visit  to  the 
interior  of  the  house. 

"  Fire !  "  cried  the  old  man. 

The  two  women  screamed  ;  but  none  of  the  party 
seemed  to  have  the  presence  of  mind  to  do  anything 
to  stay  the  progress  of  the  flames. 

"  This  is  a  bad  scrape  !  "  exclaimed  Briscoe.  "  We 
haven't  seen  the  end  of  it.     What  shall  we  do  ?  " 

"Let  ns  put  out  the  fire,"  I  replied. 

"Plow  shall  we  do  it?"  asked  the  senior  captain. 

"Throw  on  water.  Stack  arms,  and  send  to  the 
wagons  for  buckets !  " 

"  Form  companies !  "  shouted  Tommy. 

I  looked  at  hiin.  There  was  an  evil  expression  of 
pleasure  upon  his  face  as  he  regarded  the  mass  of 
smoke  which  issued  from  the  door  of  the  farm-house. 
He  had  not  kindled  the  fire ;  but  it  was  plain  that 
he  rejoiced  to  see  it.  He  was  ready  now  to  march, 
and  leave  the  devouring  element  to  avenge  the  insult 


THE    AVAR   OF    THE    STUDENTS.  85 

cast  upon  him.  He  was  excited  now,  and  issued  his 
orders  rapidly  for  the  formation  of  the  companies. 
While  he  was  doing  so,  Briscoe  marched  his  men — ■ 
those  only  who  had  acted  under  him  in  the  late  con- 
flict —  to  the  side  of  the  road,  where  he  ordered  them 
to  stack  arms.  I  followed  his  example.  While  we 
were  thus  engaged,  Haven  rushed  up  to  us,  and 
wanted  to  know  if  we  did  not  intend  to  keep  our 
promises.  We  had  agreed  to  obey  orders  for  the 
purpose  of  continuing  the  march. 

"  We  are  going  to  help  put  out  the  fire,"  replied 
Briscoe.     "After  that  Ave  Avill  obey  orders." 

"You  have  nothing  to  do  Avith  the  fire,"  replied 
Haven.     "Major  Toppleton  orders  you  into  line." 

We  gave  no  further  attention  to  him,  but  directed 
our  men  to  stack  arms.  Briscoe  and  myself  led  the 
way  to  the  house,  and  all  our  friends  followed.  I 
closed  the  front  door,  and  sent  a  squad  of  my  com- 
pany to  the  wagons  for  water-pails  and  other  vessels. 

"  Come,  Jed,  bring  out  your  pails,  and  everything 
else  that  will  hold  Avater!  We  can  put  this  fire  out 
in  about  three  minutes,"  said  I. 

"  Bring  up  that  ladder  !  "  called  Briscoe  to  his  force. 


86  SWITCH   OFF,   OE 

All  the  family,  including  the  pretty  girl,  rushed  to 
the  back  room,  to  the  barn,  and  other  parts  of  the 
premises,  and  soon  appeared  with  buckets,  tubs,  ket- 
tles, pans,  and  other  vessels.  Briscoe's  fellows  raised 
the  ladder  to  one  of  the  second-story  windows.  There 
was  a  pump  in  the  yard,  and  a  brook  crossed  the  road 
a  short  distance  below  the  house. 

"  Now,  Briscoe,  if  you  will  form  a  line  to  the  brook 
and  to  the  pump,  I  will  take  care  of  the  water  as 
fast  as  you   bring  it  up." 

"  All  right ;  but  be  in  a  hurry,"  replied  the  senior 
captain,  who  was  more  excited  than  I  was. 

By  this  time  all  the  pails,  tubs,  and  pans,  from  the 
wagons  and  from  the  house,  were  on  the  spot.  I  se- 
lected half  a  dozen  reliable  fellows  to  help  me  throw 
on  the  water.  The  lower  part  of  the  house  was  so 
full  of  smoke  that  it  was  impossible  to  go  in.  I 
went  up  the  ladder,  and  entered  the  chamber  above 
through  the  window.  The  fire  was  just  working  up 
through  the  floor,  near  the  chimney. 

"Pass  up  the  water!"  I  called  to  those  who  had 
followed. 

"  Pass  up  the  water ! "  repeated  Faxon,  at  the  win- 
dow. 


THE    WAR    OF    THE    STUDENTS.  87 

At  this  moment  Jed  joined  me  in  the  chamber.  He 
had  partially  recovered  his  self-possession. 

"What  shall  I  do? "he  asked. 

"  Get  an  axe,  and  cut  a  hole  through  the  floor  here 
where  the  fire  is  coming  through." 

He  went  to  the  window,  and  asked  his  father  to 
send  him  an  axe.  The  smoke  in  the  room  was  be- 
coming very  dense ;  but  the  first  bucket  of  water  now 
appeared,  and  I  poured  it  upon  the  spot  where  the 
flame  was  struggling  through  the  floor.  The  pails 
came  up  now  as  rapidly  as  I  could  dispose  of  them. 
The  axe  was  sent  up,  and  Jed  chojiped  away  an  aper- 
ture, so  that  I  could  throw  the  water  down  into  the 
room  below. 

In  a  couple  of  minutes  we  had  produced  a  decided 
impression  upon  the  fire,  and  we  had  soon  put  out 
all  the  flames  we  could  see.  Leaving  Faxon  to  pour 
on  the  water  in  the  chamber,  I  descended  by  the  lad- 
der to  the  ground,  with  the  intention  of  getting  into 
the  room  below.  I  wished  to  see  where  4he  fire  was, 
and  to  assure  myself  that  it  was  not  spreading  in  a 
direction  where  we  had  not  reached  it.  I  opened  the 
door,  and  went  in.     I  could  remain  but  an  instant; 


88  SWITCH    OFF,    OR 

but  a  single  glance  was  enough  to  enable  me  to  com- 
prehend the  situation. 

There  was  a  great  pile  of  chips,  shavings,  and  pine 
wood  by  the  side  of  the  stove,  which  had  been  brought 
in  to  heat  the  oven  in  the  afternoon,  as  the  old  lady- 
told  me  afterwards,  when  the  "  men  folks  "  had  gone 
to  work.  In  the  absence  of  the  family,  who  had  re- 
mained in  the  yard  to  watch  the  movements  of  the 
battalion,  the  heap  of  combustible  matter  had  taken 
fire.  The  flames  had  been  communicated  to  the  wood- 
work, and  were  rapidly  forcing  their  way  upward. 

The  quantity  of  water  which  had  been  poured  down 
from  the  chamber  above  had  extinguished  the  fire  in 
the  partition,  but  it  was  spreading  along  the  floor. 
Thus  far  the  conflagration  had  been  mainly  confined 
to  the  heap  of  wood  and  shavings ;  for  I  assure  the 
reader  that  it  has  taken  much  longer  for  me  to  relate 
the  circumstances  than  it  did  for  our  fellows  to  do 
what  has  been  described. 

"  Hold  on  above  there,  Faxon ! "  I  shouted  to  my 
companion  up  stairs,  as  soon  as  I  had  rubbed  the 
smoke  out  of  my  eyes. 

"Is  it  all  out?"  demanded  the  lieutenant. 


THE   "WAR   OF    THE    STUDENTS.  89 

"  No ;  but  the  water  you  throw  on  now  does  no 
good.     Come  down." 

I  took  a  bucket  of  water,  rushed  into  the  kitchen, 
and  dashed  it  upon  the  burning  pile.  The  effect  was 
good ;  but  I  was  obliged  to  retreat  instantly.  I  hasti- 
ly explained  the  situation  to  the  group  around  me, 
and  one  after  another  a  dozen  fellows  made  a  dive 
into  the  room,  poured  a  pail  of  water  on  the  fire,  and 
then  retired  before  the  smoke  had  wholly  blinded 
them.  On  my  next  visit  to  the  scene  of  danger,  I 
found  that  the  fire  had  been  nearly  extinguished.  I 
opened  the  doors  and  windows,  so  that  the  wind  drove 
out  the  smoke.  A  few  more  buckets  of  water  com- 
pleted our  work,  and  the  family  came  in  to  see  the 
effects  of  the  fire. 

The  apartment  was  certainly  in  very  bad  condi- 
tion, so' far  as  appearances  were  concerned;  but  the 
damage  was  not  very  great.  The  wood-work  around 
the  chimney,  and  the  floor  near  the  stove,  were 
burned  away.  The  old  man  said  that  twenty-five  or 
thirty  dollars  would  repair  the  damages.  The  old 
lady  declared  that  she  never  saw  such  a  mess  in 
her  life. 


90  SWITCH    OFF,   OR 

"  Well,  who's  to  pay  for  all  this  ? "  said  Jed,  after 
the  excitement  had  subsided. 

"I  don't  know,"  I  replied,  glancing  at  my  new  uni- 
form, which  had  suffered  somewhat  in  the  battle  with 
the  fire.  "  Do  you  think  those  who  put  the  fire  out 
for  you  ought  to  pay  for  it  ? " 

"  Well,  no ;  I  don't  know  's  I  think  so,"  replied  he. 
"  But  it  all  come  of  your  making  such  a  row  here  — 
I  mean  the  Toppleton  boy.  If  he  don't  pay  for  it,  I'll 
take  it  out  of  his  hide." 

"  Captain  Skotchley !  "  shouted  Faxon,  rushing  into* 
the  house.  "The  major  has  taken  all  our  guns,  and 
is  marching  down  the  road  with  his  fellows." 

"What  does  that  mean?"  I  inquired,  astonished  at 
this  intelligence. 

"I  don't  know;  I  suppose  Tommy  is  going  to  bring 
us  to  terms,"  laughed  Faxon. 

"  All  right.  Let  him  sro.  We  will  follow  when  we 
get  ready." 

"Are  you  sure  the  fire  is  all  put  out?"  asked  the 
old  lady,  anxiously. 

"  I  think  so,"  I  replied ;  "  but  we  can  make  sure  of 
it  before  we  go." 


THE    WAR   OF    THE    STUDENTS.  91 

I  went  out  doors,  followed  by  Faxon.  Our  fellows 
were  not  a  little  excited  by  Tommy's  last  move,  but 
Briscoe  was  quieting  them.  I  ascended  the  ladder 
again,  and  entered  the  window,  still  attended  by  Fax- 
on. There  were  no  signs  of  fire  in  the  chamber;  but 
I  thought  it  was  possible  that  the  flame  had  ascended 
within  the  wood-work,  and  I  wished  to  examine  the 
attic  above.  I  soon  found  the  stairs,  and  went  up. 
Before  I  had  reached  the  garret  floor,  I  heard  the  step 
of  a  man.  The  door  of  the  room  over  the  chamber 
where  we  had  poured  down  the  water  was  suddenly 
closed,  and  I  heard  the  springing  of  the  bolt  on  the 
inside. 

"  There  is  somebody  here,"  said  Faxon. 

"So  I  see,"  I  replied,  trying  the  door.  "I  heard 
the  step  of  a  man  as  we  were  coming  up  the  stairs. 
There  comes  Jed." 

"  It's  all  right  now,"  said  the  farmer's  son.  "  Come 
down  stairs,  and  I'll  see  to  this." 

"  But  the  fire  may  have  crept  up  here  ;  and  I  hope 
you  won't  be  burned  up  after  we  are  gone." 

"  I'll  see  to  that,"  replied  Jed,  anxiously. 

"Who's  in  that  room?" 


92  SWITCH    OFF,   OR 

"It's  a  man  that  used  to  work  for  us;  he's  crazy 
now,"  added  Jed,  placing  himself  between  me  and 
the  door.     "  I  will  see  to  this  room." 

My  curiosity  prompted  me  to  see  the  crazy  man; 
but  I  could  not  insist,  and  I  went  down. 


THE   WAR   OF   THE    STUDENTS.  93 


CHAPTER  IX. 

THE    QUESTION    OE    RATIONS. 

«  TTTHAT  does  that  mean,  Faxon?"  I  asked,  after 
T  T  we  had  left  the  house.  "Do  you  suppose 
they  keep  a  crazy  man  up  iu  the  attic  ? " 

"Jed  says  so." 

"They  didn't  go  up  after  him  when  the  house  was 
on  fire." 

"  I  don't  believe  he  is  very  crazy.  He  knew  enough 
to  go. into  his  room  and  bolt  the  door  after  him,  when 
he  heard  us  coming,"  answered  Faxon. 

"  Why  should  Jed  be  so  particular  not  to  have  us 
see  him?"  I  inquired.  "He  seemed  to  be  much 
troubled  about  it.  Did  you  mind  how  careful  he 
was  to  put  himself  between  me  and  the  door  ?  " 

"  Yes ;  he  didn't  seem  to  feel  just  right  about  it, 
and  was  in  a*  great  hurry  to  have  us  go  down  stairs. 
The  man  goes  about  the  house ;  so  he  can't  be  very 


94  SWITCH   OFF,   OR 

bad.  I  shouldn't  wonder  if  there  was  something 
wrong  about  it,"  added  Faxon. 

"  What  can  be  wrong  about  it  ?  "  I  asked. 

"  I  don't  know.  If  it  had  been  all  right,  Jed  would 
not  have  cared  so  much  about  our  seeing  the  crazy 
man." 

By  this  time  Jed  had  come  down,  and  joined  us  in 
the  yard.  He  looked  awkward  and  embarrassed ;  and, 
as  I  saw  him  standing  in  front  of  the  house,  it  recalled 
a  circumstance  which  I  had  noticed  at  the  beginning 
of  the  fire,  but  which  at  that  time  had  no  significance. 
I  saw  the  old  lady  talking  earnestly  to  her  son,  and 
pointing  up  to  the  attic  window.  Then  Jed  disap- 
peared, and  I  did  not  see  him  again  till  I  entered  the 
chamber.  I  concluded  that  the  woman  was  alarmed 
about  the  safety  of  the  crazy  man,  and  that  Jed  did 
something  to  save  him  in  case  the  house  should  be  de- 
stroyed. Indeed,  none  of  the  family  had  done  any- 
thing to  extinguish  the  flames  at  first,  and  I  was  now 
willing  to  give  them  credit  for  their  humanity  in 
attending  to  the  safety  of  the  unfortunate,  instead 
of  condemning  them,  as  I  had  done,  for  their  lack 
of  energy  and  presence  of  mind  in  the  trying  emer- 
gency. 


THE    "WAR   OF   THE    STUDENTS.  95 

"This  is  a  bad  day's  work  for  us,"  said  Jed,  with 
a  kind  of  lugubrious  expression  on  his  sun-browned 
face. 

"I'm  sorry  for  it,"  I  replied.  "We  ought  to  be 
thankful,  however,  that  the  matter  is  no  worse,  for 
your  house  came  pretty  near  being  burned  up." 

"  I  haven't  any  fault  to  find  with  you  fellows 
who  tried  to  get  us  out  of  the  scrape  ;  but  if  it 
don't  cost  that  Toppleton  boy  something,  it  won't 
be   my   fault." 

"  How  long  have  you  had  that  crazy  man  up 
there?"  I  inquired. 

"  O,  more  than  a  year.  He  don't  give  us  any 
trouble;  but  he  gets  wild  when  he  sees  strangers. 
That's  the  reason  I  didn't  want  him  to  see  you." 

"It's  lucky  he  didn't  get  burned  to  death,"  said 
Faxon. 

"  I  looked  out  for  him  in  the  first  of  it.  I  took  him 
down  into  the  shed ;  but,  as  soon  as  the  fire  was  put 
out,  I  sent  him  back  again,  for  fear  he  should  see  some 
of  you,  and  have  a  fit  on  him." 

"If  he  was  up  in  that  room,  he  must  have  seen  some 
of  us  in  the  yard." 


96  SWITCH    OFF,    OR 

"Well,  it  don't  seem  to  make  any  difference  with 
him,  if  people  don't  come  close  to  him." 

But  Jed  did  not  appear  to  like  the  subject,  and  tried 
to  avoid  it.  The  curiosity  we  manifested  increased 
his  embarrassment,  and  several  times  he  hinted  to  us 
that  we  had  better  resume  our  march.  He  declared 
that  he  must  see  to  his  colt ;  that  he  must  go  for  the 
body  of  the  wagon,  which  the  crazy  animal  had  left 
on  the  hill ;  and  he  must  hel}:)  the  folks  clean  out  the 
kitchen.  But  he  did  none  of  these  things  while  we 
remained. 

"  I  hope  the  fire  will  not  break  out  again,"  I  contin- 
ued, as  Faxon  and  I  moved  towards  the  place  where 
Briscoe  was  talking  with  our  boys. 

"  I  don't  think  there  is  any  danger." 

"The  fire  may  have  worked  its  way  up  into  the 
crazy  man's  room,  and  I  advise  you  to  keep  a  sharp 
lookout." 

"  I  shall.  I  went  into  the  room.  There  was  some 
smoke  there,  but  I  couldn't  find  any  fire,"  replied  Jed, 
fidgeting  as  though  he  was  afraid  we  should  insist 
upon  visiting  that  room. 

We  did   not   insist,   and  Faxon  and  I  joined   our 


THE   WAR   OF   THE    STUDENTS.  97 

companions  in  the  road;  and  we  had  no  difficulty  in 
turning  our  attention  from  the  crazy  man  in  the  attic 
to  the  crazy  boy  in  command  of  our  battalion.  Major 
Tommy  had  loaded  the  guns  of  our  portion  of  the 
crops  on  the  wagons,  and  departed  in  the  direction 
of  Hitaca.  We  were  disarmed,  and  not  in  fighting 
condition.  We  concluded  that  our  commander,  in 
depriving  us  of  our  weapons,  intended  to  bring  us 
to  terms. 

As  I  approached,  Briscoe  came  forward  to  meet  me, 
and  led  me  one  side  to  consider  the  circumstances  in 
which  we  were  placed.  He  appeared  to  be  much 
more  annoyed  than  I  was  at  the  movement  of  Tommy. 
We  had  the  cream  of  the  battalion  on  our  side,  and 
I  did  not  doubt  our  ability  to  recover  our  arms  when 
we  were  so  disposed. 

"  Well,  Skotchley,  what  are  we  to  do  ? "  said  he, 
rather  anxiously. 

"  We  may  as  well  march  till  we  come  up  with  the 
rest  of  the  battalion,"  I  replied,  laughing,  in  spite  of 
myself,  at  the  gravity  of  the  senior  captain. 

"  You  seem  to  think  it  is  a  joke,"  he  added. 

"  Rather  of  that  order,  I  am  inclined  to  believe." 
7 


98  SWITCH   OFF,   OE 

"I  don't  think  so.     Tommy  has  all  the  arms." 

"No  matter  for  that." 

"But  what  is  worse,  he  has  the  wagons,  which  con- 
tain all  our  provisions.  We  can't  get  any  dinner 
unless  he  pleases  to  give  us  some.  He  can  starve  us 
into  subjection." 

"I  guess  not,"  I  added,  amused  at  the  idea. 

"We  may  as  well  look  at  the  thing  as  it  is.  How 
far  is  it  from  here  to  Priam,  the  next  town  on  the 
road?" 

"  Seven  or  eight  miles." 

"  If  you  ever  went  over  this  road,  you  must  know 
that  it  is  a  rocky  country  before  us,  and  there  is  hardly 
a  house  between  here  and  Priam." 

"  I  never  went  over  the  road." 

"  I  think  this  is  the  last  farm-house  for  several  miles. 
We  are  on  the  border  of  a  very  rough  region,"  con- 
tinued Briscoe,  earnestly. 

"  Well,  what  odds  does  that  make  ?  I  don't  care 
how  rough  it  is.  The  scenery  will  be  all  the  finer,  and 
we  shall  enjoy  the  tramp  the  more." 

"  You  make  light  of  it,  Skotchley ;  but  I  can  tell 
you  this  —  that  Tommy  has  us  on  the  hip." 


THE    WAR    OF    THE    STUDENTS.  99 

"I  don't  see  it." 

"  In  a  couple  of  hours  more  it  will  be  dinner  time. 
What  are  we  going  to  do  then  ?  " 

"  Dine." 

"You  can't  dine  very  well  without  something  to 
eat." 

"  When  we  get  hungry  enough,  we  shall  be  ready 
to  fight  a  battle  for  the  sake  of  our  stomachs.  We 
can  capture  the  baggage  wagons  then." 

"  Perhaps  not,"  replied  Briscoe.  "  We  haven't  a 
musket,  and  Tommy's  crowd  are  well  armed.  They 
have  the  inside  track." 

"  Then  we  can  switch  off." 

"Switch  off?" 

"Yes,  and  take  the  inside  track." 

"  Tommy  isn't  much  of  a  schemer  himself,  though 
he  is  not  without  tact ;  but  Haven,  who  is  his  principal 
adviser,  is  a  good  manager.  In  my  opinion,  instead 
of  drilling  with  the  Wimpletonians,  we  are  going  to 
have  a  war  among  ourselves." 

"  If  we  do,  we  shall  bring  Tommy  to  his  senses 
before  it  is  finished." 

"  If  the  major  can  keep  us  off  till  to-morrow  noon, 


100  SWITCH   OFF,    OK 

he  and  his  flunkies    may  elect   officers  to  suit  them- 
selves." 

"I  don't  think  we  are  going  to  have  any  serious 
trouble.  Tommy  will  hardly  make  war  upon  a  ma- 
jority of  the  battalion." 

"  Humph  !  He  would  make  war  on  all  the  world  I 
I  have  my  doubts  about  going  ahead  any  farther." 

"  O,  don't  back  out ! "  I  replied. 

"  I  don't  mean  to  back  out ;  but  I  don't  feel  just 
right  about  marching  our  fellows  down  here  without 
anything  to  eat.  If  Tommy  finds  a  position  where 
he  can  protect  his  camp,  he  may  hold  us  at  bay 
till  our  fellows  are  starved  into  compliance  with  his 
terms." 

"I  acknowledge  that  the  ration  question  is  a  diffi- 
cult one,"  I  added. 

"  That's  almost  the  only  one.  If  we  had  the 
wagons,  we  could  make  our  own  terms." 

"We  can  take  the  bull  by  the  horns,  then." 

"  Yes,  if  we  can  get  hold  of  the  horns." 

"No  trouble  about  that.  Is  there  any  money 
among  our  fellows  ?  "  I  asked. 

"I  suppose  there  is." 


THE    WAR    OF    THE    STUDENTS.  101 

"Money  makes  the  mare  go." 

"  What  good  will  money  do  in  the  wilderness  be- 
fore us  ?  " 

"  I'll  give  you  my  idea,  Briscoe,  and  you  can  lay  it 
before  the  fellows  if  you  like." 

"Go  ahead,  for  I  don't  want  to  back  out.  Tommy 
has  been  our  tyrant  for  two  or  three  years.  He  has 
behaved  badly  to-day,  and  I  think  we  have  done  right 
in  trying  to  check  him.  We  tried  to  save  Jed's  horse, 
we  prevented  Tommy's  flunkies  from  doing  any  more 
mischief  to  the  farmer's  property,  and  we  put  out  the 
fire  when  our  commander  would  have  permitted  the 
house  to  be  burned  up.  I  think  we  have  the  right  of 
the  matter.  I  don't  want  to  march  back  to  Middle- 
port,  as  we  must  if  we  have  no  provisions." 

"  We  must  take  a  stock  of  provisions  with  us,"  I 
suggested.     "  That's  my  plan." 

"  I  never  thought  of  that ;  but  where  are  we  to  get 
them  ?  "  asked  Briscoe,  his  face  lighting  up  with  hope. 

"  Buy  them.  We  can  2^ick  up  money  enough  among 
the  fellows  to  purchase  a  week's  supply,  I  think.  We 
have  eighty,  and  a  quarter  apiece  will  give  us  twenty 
dollars." 


102  SWITCH   OFF,   OR 

"Good!" 

"  We  can  hire  Jed  to  go  in  his  wagon,  with  one  or 
two  of  us,  to  the  store  three  miles  back.  We  have 
the  pots  and  kettles  belonging  to  the  camp  equipage 
with  us,  and  we  can  do  our  own  cooking." 

"  That's  a  capital  idea,  Skotchley,  and  I  feel  better 
already.     But  we  have  no  tents." 

"ISTo  matter;  the  fellows  can  sleep  on  the  ground 
before  a  big  fire;  but  my  idea  is,  that  we  shall  have 
the  tents  before  we  want  to  sleep." 

Briscoe  liked  my  plan  very  much,  for  it  seemed  to 
solve  all  the  difficulties  of  the  situation.  We  went 
over  to  the  place  where  the  two  companies  were,  and 
the  senior  captain  stated  the  case  to  them,  declaring 
that  we  must  either  return  to  Middleport,  or  obtain  a 
supply  of  provisions  for  the  march.  The  boys  were 
unanimously  in  favor  of  going  ahead,  and  we  "passed 
round  the  hat."  Counting  the  proceeds  of  the  collec- 
tion, the  result  was  over  thirty  dollars. 

Jed  was  open  to  a  trade ;  and  for  a  dollar  he  agreed 
to  convey  Faxon,  who  was  appointed  commissary  for 
the  occasion,  to  the  store.  He  brought  out  his  colt, 
which  now  behaved  in  a  very  orderly  manner,  and  at- 


THE    WAR    OP    THE    STUDENTS.  103 

tached  him  to  the  forward  wheels  of  his  wagon.  Half 
a  dozen  of  the  boys  went  to  the  top  of  the  hill  where 
the  body  of  his  wagon  was,  to  assist  in  mounting  it. 
The  party  soon  returned,  and  assured  us  that  our 
agent  was  on  his  way  to  the  store. 


104  SWITCH    OFF,   OB 


CHAPTER  X. 

WHO    THE    CRAZY    HAN"   WAS. 

UR  fellows  were  highly  excited  at  the  prospect 
of  a  contest  with  Tommy  Toppleton  and  his 
minions.  We  believed  that  we  had  the  right  of 
way  —  that  the  track  belonged  to  us ;  and  the  ques- 
tion was,  which  of  us  should  "  switch  off."  Our 
present  plan  provided  against  the  perils  of  starvation, 
and   everybody  was  good-natured. 

"  This  does  not  look  much  like  a  prize  drill  on 
Friday  —  does  it,  Skotchley  ?  "  asked  Briscoe,  as  we 
sat  on  the  fence,  waiting  for  the  return  of  our 
commissary. 

"  Not  much." 

"  We  can't  get  round  the  lake  by  Friday,  if  we 
fool  away  our  time  in  this  manner." 

"  If  we  are  behind  time,  we  can  take  one  of  the 
steamers  down  the  lake.     But  I  am  more  afraid  the 


THE    WAR   OF    THE    STUDENTS.  105 

battalion  will  be  broken  up,  before  Friday,  by  Tom- 
my's obstinacy.     If  he  don't  come  to  terms  — " 

"  What  terms  ?  "   asked  Briscoe,  laughing. 

"I  don't  know,"  I  replied,  "on  precisely  what 
terms  we  are  to  make  peace ;  but  we  are  to  have  a 
new  major,  and  for  one,  I  will  no  longer  submit  to 
Tommy's  tyranny." 

"So  say  we  all  of  us." 

"You  will  be  chosen  major,  if  we  have  a  fair 
election ;  and  if  we  don't  have  a  fair  one,  we  will 
not  submit  to  it." 

"Things  look  decidedly  squally,"  added  Briscoe. 

"  That's  true  ;  but  if  we  can  make  our  fellows  stick, 
it  will  come  out  all  right." 

"  O,  they  will  stick.  We  have  all  the  best  fellows 
of  the  Institute  on  our  side." 

"  They  haven't  any  tyrant  on  the  other  side  of 
the  lake  now." 

"No.  Isn't  it  odd?  They  say  Waddie  is  a  real 
gentleman.  He  don't  put  on  airs,  and  don't  even  get 
mad." 

"  Wolf  Penniman  converted  him.  It's  a  great  pity 
he  can't  convert  his  father." 


106  SWITCH   OFF,    OK 

"So  it  is ;  but  I  think  we  should  be  satisfied,  on 
our  side,  if  Tommy  Toppleton  could  be  converted 
into  a  decent  fellow,  though  it  won't  be  our  fault  if 
he  is  not." 

"  That's  so,"  laughed  Briscoe.  "  I  suppose  it  would 
not  be  very  hard  for  some  of  us  to  get  transferred  to 
the  Wimpleton  Institute,  after  the  summer  vacation, 
if  things  don't  go  right  on  this  side." 

"My  father  and  Major  Toppleton  are  old  friends, 
and  I  found  it  rather  hard  for  me  to  get  away,"  I 
added.  "  But  I  hope  Tommy  will  switch  off,  and  get 
on  the  other  track." 

"I  hope  so.  What's  that?"  exclaimed  Briscoe, 
pointing  up  to  the  chimney  of  the  farm-house  nearest 
to  us.     "Isn't  it  smoke?" 

"  Yes,  it  is,  as  true  as  you  live ! "  I  replied,  excited 
by  the  sudden  prospect  of  another  fire. 

The  old  farmer  and  his  family  were  still  at  work 
in  the  kitchen,  cleaning  out  the  wreck  of  the  fire. 
After  examining  the  casing  of  the  chimney  in  the 
house,  I  had  been  fearful  that  some  sparks  had  been 
drawn  up  into  the  wood-work  above.  If  I  had  been 
permitted   to  look   into  the  attic  chamber  where  the 


THE    WAR    OF    THE    STUDENTS.  107 

crazy  man  lived,  I  could  have  determined  whether 
there  was  any  fire  there  or  not.  I  doubt  whether  Jed 
went  in  at  all. 

"  We  must  go  to  work  again,  Briscoe,"  I  added, 
waiting  for  him,  as  my  senior  officer,  to  give  me 
orders. 

"  You  look  out  for  the  inside,  and  I  will  see  that 
the  water  is  passed  up  to  you." 

Taking  Langdon  and  Dunbold  with  me,  I  ran  into 
the  kitchen,  and  told  the  people  that  the  house  was 
on  fire  near  the  roof.  I  did  not  wait  to  ask  permis- 
sion, but  rushed  up  stairs,  followed  by  my  companions. 
I  looked  into  the  chamber  where  we  had  worked 
before,  but  there  was  no  fire  there.  I  ascended  to 
the  attic.  The  door  of  the  crazy  man's  chamber  was 
still  fastened.  It  was  possible  that  he  was  not  yet 
aware  of  the  presence  of  the  devouring  element  so 
near  him.  Indeed,  the  smoke  we  had  seen  outside 
was  so  slight  as  hardly  to  attract  our  notice. 

"  Fire  !  Fire  !  "  I  shouted,  pounding  vigorously 
upon  the  door. 

The  crazy  man  took  no  notice  of  us,  and  I  repeated 
the   warning   demonstration.      By  this   time  the   old 


108  SWITCH    OFF,   OR 

farmer  had  made  his  way  up  stairs.  He  rapped  on 
the  door  several  times,  with  no  better  success  than 
had  attended  my  appeal. 

"  Open  the  door,"  said  the  farmer.  "  The  house  is 
afire  up  here  somewhere." 

"  No  fire  in  here,"  replied  the  occupant  of  the 
room. 

"  Perhaps  it's  outside,"  suggested  the  old  man,  as 
he  looked  up  to  a  scuttle  in  the  roof,  which  I  had 
not  before  noticed.  "  If  one  or  two  of  you  would 
go  on  the  roof,  you  could  see  just  where  it  is." 

Corporal  Dunbold,  who  was  distinguished  as  a 
gymnast,  offered  to  render  this  service.  Placing  a' 
flour  barrel  on  an  old  table,  he  reached  the  scuttle, 
opened  it,  and  went  out  upon  the  roof.  Sergeant 
Langdon  followed  him. 

"  If  the  house  is  on  fire,  you  ought  to  get  this 
man   out,"  I  suggested  to   the  farmer. 

"  I  suppose  so.  I  must  break  the  door  down. 
He's  very  obstinate.  You  run  down  and  get  me 
the  axe,  and  I'll  break  in  the  door." 

I  ran  down  stairs  to  the  room  below,  where  Jed 
had  left    the  axe  with  which  we  had    cut    through 


* 

THE    WAS   OF   THE    STUDENTS.  109 

the  floor.  When  I  was  half  way  up  the  stairs  on 
my  return,  I  heard  the  door  of  the  crazy  man's 
chamber  open.  Somehow,  I  was  not  afraid  of  him, 
though  I  had  been  told  that  the  sight  of  strangers 
made  him  violent.  I  reached  the  top  of  the  stairs 
just  as  he  came  out  of  the  room.  The  farmer  was 
hurrying  him  towards  the  apartment  on  the  other 
side  of  the  entry ;    but  I  met  him  face  to  face. 

The  crazy  man  was  Christy  Holgate,  who  had 
robbed  Wolf  Penniman's  father  of  twenty-four  hun- 
dred dollars ! 

I  saw  him  and  recognized  him,  though  he  had 
grown  very  thin  and  pale  since  I  had  last  seen  him, 
more  than  a  year  before,  on  the  steamer.  Of  course 
I  was  astonished  at  the  sight  of  him,  for  it  was 
generally  believed  in  Middleport  that  the  robber  had 
fled  to  the  South.  For  the  moment,  I  forgot  that  I 
was  looking  for  the  fire ;  but  the  farmer  hurried 
Christy  into  the  other  chamber,  and  presently  joined 
me  at  the  head  of  the  stairs. 

"  Do  you  find  any  fire  ?  "   he  asked,  anxiously. 

"Not  yet,"  I  replied,  leading  the  way  into  the 
crazy  man's  chamber. 


110  SWITCH   OFF,   OR 

"  There  isn't  any  fire  here,"  said  the  farmer.  "  I 
think  it's  a  false   alarm." 

"  We  certainly  saw  some  smoke  rising  from  the 
roof,  near  the  chimney,  on  the  outside." 

I  put  my  hand  upon  the  casing  of  the  chimney. 
It  was  quite  hot,  and  I  was  satisfied  that  it  was  not 
a  false  alarm.  It  was  plain  enough  that  the  farm- 
er's house  would  soon  be  enveloped  in  flames  if  the 
fire  was  not  reached  and  checked.  By  this  time, 
Briscoe  had  raised  a  long  ladder  to  the  attic  win- 
dow. Dunbold  reported  that  the  smoke  was  coming 
out  through  the  cracks  around  the  chimney. 

"  Pass  up  the  water,  fellows  !  "  I  called  at  the  open 
window. 

The  boys  were  already  on  the  ladder  ;  and,  as  soon 
as  I  had  a  couple  of  buckets  of  water  in  the  room, 
I  directed  the  farmer  to  cut  away  the  casing  of  the 
chimney ;  for  I  did  not  deem  it  prudent  to  admit 
the  air  till  we  were  ready  to  fight  the  flames.  He 
promptly  struck  a  few  vigorous  blows  with  the  axe,  and 
down  came  the  boards,  charred  on  the  inside  by  the 
fire.  A  few  pails  of  water  finished  the  work,  though 
we  did  not  leave  the  place  till  we  had  drenched  the 


THE    WAR    OF    THE    STUDENTS.  Ill 

roof  around  the  chimney.  We  poured  in  water  till 
there  was  no  longer  any  possibility  of  a  secret  spark 
doing  any  mischief. 

The  farmer,  who  seemed  to  take  a  more  Christian 

view    of    our    relations    than    his  son  did,  was  very 

grateful  to  us  for  the  service  we  had  rendered.     He 

offered    to   give    us   all   a  dinner  if  we  would  wait 

long  enough  for  his  "  women  folks  "  to  cook  it.    As 

we    were    in   no   particular   hurry,  we    accepted   the 

invitation.     The  old  lady  and  Clarissa  —  who  was  a 

neighbor  for  whom   Jed   had   a  particular  regard  — 

went  to  work,  boiling  potatoes  and  frying  bacon,  at 

the  stove  in  the  midst  of  the  ruins  of  the  kitchen. 

"  Your    man    up    stairs    don't    seem    to    be    very 

crazy,"  said  I  to  the  farmer,  while  we  were  waiting. 

"  Only  when  he  sees  strangers." 

"  Why  don't  you  send  him  to  an  asylum  ? " 

"  Well,  he  don't  give  us    any  trouble.      When   no 

one  but  our  own  folks  are  here  he  comes  down  to 

his  meals.     Besides,  he's  my  wife's  brother.     He  had 

some  trouble  a  while  ago,  and  that  rather  turned  his 

head.     He  thinks  somebody  is  after  him  all  the  time." 

I  did  not  wonder  at  this,  for  somebody  had  been 


112  SWITCH    OFF,    OR 

after  him  for  weeks  or  months  after  he  committed 
his  crime.  Wolf's  father  had  been  his  best  friend ; 
and,  while  the  steamer,  of  which  Christy  was  the 
engineer,  was  lying  at  the  wharf  in  Ucayga,  he  had 
taken  Mr.  Penniman's  pocket-book  from  him.  When 
he  was  discovered,  he  attempted  to  escape  on  a  loco- 
motive ;  but  Wolf  jumped  on  with  him,  and,  by  the 
aid  of  a  pistol  he  had  taken  from  Waddie  Wimple- 
ton,  compelled  him  to  give  up  the  pocket-book.  He 
gave  it  up ;  but  he  had  taken  the  twenty -four  hun- 
dred dollars  from  it.  He  took  to  the  woods,  and 
the  sheriffs  could  not  find  him.  Probably  he  had 
been  concealed  all  this  time  at  his  sister's  house. 
I  wondered  where  the  money  was,  the  loss  of  which 
had  nearly  ruined  Wolf's  father. 

I  did  not  deem  it  wise  to  inform  the  farmer  that 
I  had  recognized  Christy  in  the  crazy  man.  It  was 
possible  that  a  portion  of  the  money  might  yet  be 
recovered,  and  persons  more  skilled  than  I  was  in 
such  matters  ought  to  manage  the  case.  Wolf's 
steamer  touched  at  Priam,  which  lay  in  our  route, 
and  I  decided,  if  I  could  not  see  "  the  young  cap- 
tain "  there,  to  leave  a  note  for  him. 


THE   WAR   OP    THE    STUDENTS.  113 

It  was  nearly  twelve  o'clock  when  Jed  and  Faxon 
returned  with  the  wagon  well  loaded  with  provisions, 
such  as  crackers,  shipbread,  bacon,  salt  fish,  potatoes, 
and  other  articles  which  we  could  conveniently  use. 
Our  dinner  was  now  nearly  ready,  and  all  the  re- 
sources of  the  farm-house  were  required  to  feed  us. 
There  were  knives  and  forks  enough  for  only  a  small 
portion  of  our  company  ;  but,  as  we  were  used  to  camp- 
ing out,  and  realized  that  "  fingers  were  made  before 
forks,"  we  had    no   difficulty  in  filling  our  stomachs. 

Jed  had  become  very  good-natured,  for  Faxon  had 
explained  to  him  the  particulars  of  the  difficulty 
between  the  two  divisions  of  the  battalion.  He 
hoped  the  Toppleton  boy  would  be  whipped  out,  and 
he  would  be  willing  to  go  down  and  help  us  do  it. 
We  did  not  need  any  assistance  of  this  kind ;  but, 
when  he  volunteered  to  convey  our  provisions  and 
stores  down  to  Priam,  we  accepted  his  offer ;  but  he 
harnessed  the  colt's  mother  for  this  service. 

At  one  o'clock  we  took  up  the  line  of  march. 
As  we  felt  that  we  were  going  to  battle,  Briscoe 
sent  scouts  ahead  to  warn  us  of  the  presence  of 
the  enemy. 

8 


114  SWITCH   OFF,   OB 


CHAPTER  XI. 


IN    THE    WILD    REGION. 


IT  looked  to  me  just  as  though  another  war  of 
the  students  had  actually  commenced,  not  be- 
tween the  rival  academies  this  time,  but  between 
different  factions  of  the  same  institution.  But  this 
statement  of  the  case  did  not  exactly  suit  me,  for  I 
felt  that  I  had  no  quarrel  with  my  fellow-students ; 
and  it  was  more  reasonable  to  call  it  a  rebellion 
against  the  tyranny  of  Tommy  Toppleton.  The  ques- 
tion was  whether  Tommy,  who  was  only  the  equal 
of  his  fellow-students,  should  treat  them  like  inferi- 
ors ;  should  bully  them,  snub  them,  and,  at  his  lordly 
mandate,  compel  them  to  invade  a  farmer's  wheat 
field,  trample  down  his  garden,  and  assault  his  people. 
I  thought  not,  and  so  thought  a  majority  of  us. 
Our  remedy  was  to  elect  a  new  major  —  one  who 
would  be  reasonable ;    one  who,  while  he  required 


THE   WAR   OF    THE    STUDENTS.  115 

strict  obedience  to  his  legitimate  military  commands, 
would  treat  us  like  officers  and  gentlemen ;  one  who 
would  not  make  war  on  the  gardens,  chicken  coops, 
and  barns  of  the  farmers  through  whose  territory  we 
were  to  pass.  Most  of  us  were  satisfied  that  in  Cap- 
tain Briscoe  we  should  find  such  a  person,  and  a 
majority  of  us  intended  to  place  him  in  this  high 
position. 

Major  Tommy  had  deprived  us  of  our  arms,  and 
continued  the  march  with  the  wagons  containing  the 
tents,  provisions,  and  other  stores.  But,  we  had  plen- 
tifully supplied  ourselves  with  eatables,  so  that  we 
could  not  be  starved  into  subjection.  I  feared  that 
Tommy,  who,  whatever  he  might  say  on  the  subject, 
was  disturbed  about  the  result  of  the  approaching 
election,  would  dispose  of  the  matter  with  the  mi- 
nority, who  still  adhered  to  his  fortunes.  The  bat- 
talion headquarters  were  with  him ;  the  roster  and 
Records  were  in  his  possession,  or  in  that  of  the  ser- 
geant-major, who  was  one  of  his  toadies;  so  that  an 
election  conducted  by  him  would  be  technically  legal, 
though  really  unfair  and  unjust. 

In  regard  to  the  major's  mode  of  operations  we  were 


116  SWITCH   OFF,   OE 

still  in  the  dark.  We  had  about  eight  miles  of  wild 
country  before  us,  abounding  in  forests,  headlong 
steeps,  deep  ravines  gored  in  the  stupendous  rocks, 
in  rushing  torrents,  and  lofty  cascades.  Later  in  the 
season  this  region  was  visited  by  thousands  of  tourists, 
and  at  Priam  there  was  a  large  hotel  for  their  accom- 
modation. At  the  present  time  we  were  not  likely 
to  be  disturbed;  for,  though  a  good  road  extended 
through  this  picturesque  territory,  it  was  but  little 
used,  for  nearly  all  the  travel  between  Middlepprt 
and  Priam  was  done  by  the  steamboats  on  the  lake. 
We  marched  from  the  farm-house,  where  so  many 
lively  incidents  had  occurred,  and  entered  the  wild 
region.  There  was  no  one  to  molest  or  make  us 
afraid.  Having  no  arms  to  carry,  we  had  an  easy 
time  of  it.  Of  the  twenty  members  of  the  band  and 
drum  corps,  we  had  fifteen,  and  occasionally  Fryes 
gave  us  a  tune  to  enliven  the  march.  Our  scouts  led 
the  way  a  mile  in  advance  of  us,  to  notify  us  of  any 
hostile  demonstration  on  the  part  of  Tommy's  adhe- 
rents, who  were  at  least  three  hours  ahead  of  us. 
Occasionally  we  halted  at  the  mountain  torrents  which 
Cowed  down  the  rocks,  or  dashed  along  by  the  side 


THE    WAR    OF    THE    STUDENTS.  117 

of  the  road,  to  refresh  ourselves  with  a  draught  of 
the  pure  water;  but  we  saw  neither  man  nor  beast. 
Not  even  a  stray  tourist  had  anticipated  the  season, 
though  many  sportsmen  had  come  up  to  fish  on  the 
lake. 

"  This  isn't  very  bad  —  is  it  ?  "  said  Briscoe,  halt- 
ing at  the  road-side  till  I  came  up  with  him. 

"  No ;  it's  a  beautiful  country,"  I  replied.  "  I 
wouldn't  mind  spending  a  week  or  two  among  these 
rocks." 

"  I  should  like  it  first  rate ;  and  I  wonder  we  have 
never  come  up  here  to  camp  out,"  added  the  senior 
captain. 

"  The  country  is  not  very  favorable  for  camps  and 
military  evolutions." 

"  That's  so ;  there's  hardly  room  enough  to  pitch 
our  tents  on  any  one  spot." 

"I  wonder  where  Tommy  is,"  continued  Briscoe. 
"I  expected  to  come  up  with  him  before  this  time." 

"  Some  of  our  fellows  say  that  Haven  knows  all 
about  this  wild  region,  and  I  suppose  he  is  conduct- 
ing Tommy's  forces.  What  do  you  suppose  they 
mean  to  do?" 


118  SWITCH   OFF,   OR 

"  I  have  no  idea  of  the  particular  way  in  which 
they  intend  to  manage  the  business ;  but  Tommy 
means  to  have  himself  elected  major  without  any 
help  from  us.  He  must  know  by  this  time  that  we 
shall  not  vote  for  him." 

"  Perhaps  he  means  to  hide  in  the  hills  till  after 
noon  to-morrow,  and  then  come  out  to  tell  us  he  has 
been  elected  major,"  I  suggested.  "  Of  course  you 
and  I  will  be  elected  high  privates,  for  Tommy's  fel- 
lows will  have  all  the  best  places  —  all  the  commis- 
sions at  least,  if  not  all  the  warrants.  Then  we  are 
to  be  court-martialed,  and  punished  as  he  thinks  we 
deserve." 

"But  he  can't  carry  on  an  election  without  a  quo- 
rum," said  Briscoe.  "  The  rules  require  that  one  half 
shall  be  present  to  do  any  business." 

"  I  fancy  he  will  find  some  way  to  get  over  this 
difficulty." 

"  I  don't  see  how  he  can  get  over  it.  He  has  only 
sixty-five,  including  the  three  wagon-masters." 

"  He  has  always  been  a  law  unto  himself,  and  I 
don't  see  why  he  shouldn't  be  in  this  instance." 

"Are  all  our  fellows  true-blue?"  asked  Briscoe,  in 


THE    "WAR   OF    THE    STUDENTS.  119 

a  low  tone,  and  with  some  anxiety  apparent  on  his 
face. 

"  I  suppose  they  are,"  I  answered.  "  Of  course 
there  are  some  who  don't  care  much  how  the  thing 
goes." 

"I  was  thinking  that  Tommy,  if  we  should  get 
together  again,  might  find  means  to  win  some  of  our 
fellows  over  on  his  side.  If  he  could  draw  over  about 
a  dozen  of  them,  that  would  give  him  a  quorum. 
Then,  if  he  could  keep  us  at  a  distance,  he  might 
elect  every  officer  to  suit  himself." 

"  We  must  explain  the  matter  to  our  fellows,  and 
fortify  them." 

"  That's  so ;  we  will  do  it  next  time  we  halt." 

Briscoe  resumed  his  place  at  the  head  of  the  col- 
umn, and  we  continued  the  march  till  an  inviting 
brook  induced  him  to  halt  for  a  drink.  We  had 
plenty  of  drinking  vessels  with  us,  which  we  had  used 
in  putting  out  the  fire.  Like  all  boys,  our  party  were 
thirsty  every  time  they  saw  a  good  chance  to  drink. 
But,  before  they  had  satisfied  themselves,  two  of  the 
four  scouts  who  had  led  the  advance,  one  of  whom 
was    Faxon,    were    seen    hastening    towards    us.      It 


120  SWITCH    OFF,    OR 

was  evident  that  some  important  discovery  had  been 
made. 

Of  course  Tommy's  movements  had  been  the  sub- 
ject of  constant  discussion  among  our  party,  and  all 
sorts  of  opinions  were  expressed  in  regard  to  his 
course.  Some  thought  he  would  not  halt  till  he 
reached  Priam,  Avhere  he  would  send  for  his  father 
to  sit  in  judgment  upon  the  rebels.  Others  believed 
he  would  hide  himself  in  the  woods,  and  ascertain 
what  our  party  intended  to  do.  But  the  prevailing 
opinion  was,  that  he  intended  to  starve  us  into  yield- 
ing to  all  his  requirements.  Perhaps  they  thought  so 
because  this  was  the  very  emergency  for  which  we 
had  so  carefully  provided. 

Lieutenant  Faxon  and  Corporal  Dunbold  were  the 
two  scouts  who  returned  to  the  main  body.  Both 
of  them  looked  excited,  if  not  anxious,  as  they  ap- 
proached, and  we  concluded  that  the  solution  of 
Tommy's  intentions  was  at  hand.  Our  fellows  at  once 
forgot  that  they  were  thirsty,  and  hurried  away  from 
the  brook  to  meet  the  scouts,  and  obtain  the  latest 
tidings  of  the  major's  operations. 

"  What  is  it,  Faxon  ? "  demanded  Briscoe,  striving 


THE    "WAR    OF    THE    STUDENTS.  121 

to  keep  cool,  and  thus  maintain  the  dignity  of  the 
commanding  officer  of  the  rebels  —  for  such  we  ac- 
knowledged that  we  were,  and  quoted  the  example 
of  the  patriots  of  the  Revolution  to  sustain  our  po- 
sition. 

"  Tommy  and  his  forces  have  halted  on  High  Bluff," 
replied  Faxon,  out  of  breath  with  the  haste  he  had 
made. 

"  What's  High  Bluff?  "  asked  a  dozen  of  our  pai'ty. 

"  What  are  they  doing  ? "  inquired  a  dozen  more. 

"  Are  they  going  to  fight  ? "  demanded  others. 

"  Well,  I  can't  answer  a  dozen  questions  at  once," 
replied  Faxon,  laughing,  as  he  seated  himself  on  a 
rock  to  rest  his  weary  limbs. 

"Order!"  shouted  Briscoe.  "Fall  back!  Rest 
yourself  a  minute,  Faxon,  and  I  will  form  the  line, 
and  have  the  business  done  without  interruption." 

The  senior  captain  and  myself  ordered  our  two  com- 
panies to  form  a  line,  telling  them  that  any  disorder 
might  lose  us  the  battle.  They  were  reasonable 
enough  to  see  the  point. 

"Now  keep  in  line,  fellows.  I  will  tell  you  all 
about  it  as  soon  as  I  ascertain  the  situation,"  said 
Briscoe. 


122  SWITCH    OFF,    OR 

"All  right!"  shouted  the  students. 

"No  soldier  will  leave  the  line  without  orders.  As 
soon  as  I  find  out  where  Tommy  is,  I  will  tell  you 
what  we  will  do." 

Certainly  our  troops  were  very  well  disciplined ; 
for,  impatient  as  they  were,  not  one  of  them  left  his 
place.  Leaving  Lennox  in  charge  of  the  line,  Briscoe 
and  I  hastened  to  the  place  where  Faxon  was  rest- 
ing himself. 

"  I  think  Tommy  has  us  in  a  tight  place,"  said  the 
scout,  as  we  seated  ourselves  in  front  of  him. 

"  Why  so  ?  "What  has  he  done  ? "  asked  Briscoe, 
rather  nervously. 

"He  has  camped  on  High  Bluff,  and  pulled  up 
the  bridge,  so  that  we  cannot  reach  him." 

"I  don't  know  anything  about  High  Bluff,"  added 
Briscoe,  impatiently. 

"  Some  folks  call  it  Bellevue.  It  is  a  kind  of  prom- 
ontory on  the  shore,  which  commands  a  beautiful  view 
of  the  lake  and  its  eastern  borders." 

"What  bridge  has  he  pulled  up?"  inquired  Bris- 
coe, still  unable  to  comprehend  the  situation. 

"  The   bridge   over   the   ravine  at  High  Bluff.     It 


THE   WAR   OF   THE    STUDENTS.  123 

was  built  by  the  hotel-keeper  at  Priam,  so  that  his 
guests  could  drive  upon  the  promontory,  and  get  the 
view  there  without  leaving  their  carriages." 

"But  what's  the  need  of  a  bridge  if  the  bluff  is  on 
this  side  of  the  lake  ? "  I  asked. 

"  On  each  side  of  the  promontory  there  is  a  wide 
gully ;  or,  in  fact,  they  are  two  arms  of  the  lake. 
Between  the  bluff  and  the  road  there  is  another  gully, 
through  which  flows  the  brook,  which  is  there  almost 
a  river.  Indeed,  the  two  arms  of  the  lake  are  the 
two  mouths  of  this  stream,  and  the  bluff  is  an  island." 

We  understood  his  explanation,  and  were  satisfied 
that  Major  Tommy  had  chosen  a  strong  position  in 
which  to  subdue  the  rebels. 


124  SWITCH  OFF,  OB 


CHAPTER    XII. 


BEFORE    HIGH    BLUFF. 


"HAT  does  Tommy  intend  to  do  ? "  asked 
Briscoe.  "What  is  he  going  to  make  by 
fortifying  himself  on  High  Bluff?" 

"  I  don't  know,"  answered  Faxon.  "  Of  course  he 
don't  know  that  we  have  anything  to  eat,  and  I  sup- 
pose he  thinks  he  can  starve  us  till  we  submit  or 
clear  out." 

"I  think  we  will  not  let  him  know  that  we  have 
anything  in  the  way  of  provisions,"  added  Briscoe. 

"  Probably  he  means  to  keep  us  out  of  our  guns 
also,"  I  suggested. 

"Isn't  there  any  way  to  get  on  the  bluff?"  in- 
quired Briscoe. 

"  I  don't  know  of  any  way.  On  the  two  arms  of 
the  lake  the  water  is  deep,  and  the  sides  of  the  prom- 
ontory are  nearly  perpendicular." 


THE    WAR    OF    THE    STUDENTS.  125 

"  How  deep  is  the  ravine  between  the  road  and 
the  bluff?  " 

"Fifteen  or  twenty  feet,  as  nearly  as  I  can  re- 
member; but  the  stream  is  a  rushing  torrent  at  the 
bottom  of  it,"  replied  Faxon. 

"Never  mind;  we  will  look  at  the  place  very 
soon.  We  can  tell  best  how  to  proceed  when  we 
know  what  Tommy  intends  to  do.  Where  are  the 
other  two  scouts,  Faxon?" 

"  I  left  them  up  by  the   bluff,  to  keep  a  lookout." 

"That's    right." 

"I  told  them  not  to  let  any  of  the  fellows  on 
the  bluff  see  them." 

"Good!"  exclaimed  Briscoe.  "As  I  understand 
the  matter,  Tommy  can  no  more  get  out  of  his  for- 
tress than  we  can  get  into  it." 

"Not  unless  we  permit  him  to  relay  the  bridge 
he  has  taken  up." 

s    "  We  will  take  care  of  that.      Now,  is  there  any 
place  for  us  to  camp  near  the  bluff,  Faxon?" 

"  There  is  room  enough  above  the  road,  though 
there  isn't  much  chance  to  pitch  many  tents." 

"We    haven't  many  to  pitch,"    laughed    Briscoe. 


126  SWITCH   OFF,    OB 

"Now  we  must  have  a  talk  with  our  fellows,  and 
see  how  they  feel." 

We  walked  up  to  the  front  of  the  line,  where  our 
boys  were  impatiently  waiting  to  learn  the  nature 
of  Tommy's  position.  The  senior  captain  explained 
it  to  them,  so  that  a  portion  of  them  probably  under- 
stood it. 

"  I  can't  tell  what  we  shall  do  till  we  are  on  the 
ground,"  said  Briscoe.  "  One  thing  is  certain :  if 
Tommy's  fellows  will  not  let  us  on  the  bluff,  we  will 
not  let  them  off;  for  it's  a  poor  rule  that  won't 
work  both  ways." 

"  That's  so ! "  laughed  the  crowd. 

"We  have  plenty  to  eat.  We  can  live  comforta- 
bly for  three  days  on  our  stock  of  provisions.  Tom- 
my will  have  the  election  to-morrow,  I  suppose ;  and 
very  likely  he  will  try  to  get  some  of  you  to  go  over 
and  help  him." 

"  Not  much  ! "  shouted  some  of  the  more  enthusi- 
astic of  the  rebels. 

"  If  any  of  you  wish  to  go,  I  shall  not  prevent 
you  from  doing  so." 

"  We  won't  have  anything  to  do  with  them ! " 
exclaimed   several. 


THE    WAR   OF   THE    STUDENTS.  127 

"  They  can't  elect  officers  without  a  quorum,  which 
is  half  the  battalion.  If  they  can  buy  off,  say,  ten 
of  you,  they  can  do  it  —  not  without." 

"We'll  duck  any  fellow  that  deserts,"  cried  pri- 
vate   Crampton. 

"That's  the  talk!" 

"  Fellows,  I,  for  one,  can't  submit  any  longer  to 
Major  Toppleton's  tyranny,"  continued  Briscoe,  warm- 
ly. "If  any  of  you  wish  to  do  so,  it  is  none  of  my 
business." 

"We  don't!" 

"If  we  stick  together,  we  can  make  an  end  of  it 
before  to-morrow  night." 

"  Stick  together  ! "  yelled  the  crowd,  with  one  voice. 

"  We  are  rebels  now,"  laughed  Briscoe. 

"  That's  so  ! " 

"  But  we  must  have  good  discipline,  or  we  can't 
do  anything,"  the  senior  captain  proceeded.  "  If  you 
are  not  satisfied  with  your  present  officers,  choose 
others  at  once." 

"No  !     No  !  " 

"You  are  satisfied,  then?" 

"Yes!    Yes!" 


128  SWITCH    OFF,    OR 

"  Very  well.  If  you  want  somebody  else  to  com- 
mand you,  say  the  word,  and  I  will  cheerfully  obey 
any  one  you  may  select." 

"  Briscoe  forever  ! " 

"  Thank  you.  I  wish  you  to  obey  orders  without 
asking  any  questions.  If  you  do,  we  shall  come  out 
all  right." 

"  Briscoe  and  liberty !  "  screamed  a  facetious  fellow. 

"  Briscoe  —  the  Washington  of  the  Toppleton  In- 
stitute ! "  roared  another. 

"Briscoe  —  the  next  major  of  the  battalion!" 

"  Thank  you,  fellows ;  but  the  less  buncombe  we 
have,  the  better  we  shall  get  along,"  interposed  the 
recipient  of  all  these  honors. 

Briscoe  gave  his  orders  to  form  in  column,  and  the 
march  was  resumed.  Jed,  with  the  old  mare,  —  the 
mother  of  the  fiery  colt,  —  brought  up  the  rear  with 
the  provisions  and  stores.  We  were  an  excited  band 
of  warriors,  for  we  expected  a  stirring  time  for  the 
next  day,  if  not  for  the  coming  night.  For  my  own 
part,  I  was  continually  studying  the  problem  which 
Faxon's  description  of  High  Bluff  presented,  in  order 
to  find  the  means  of  spanning  the  abyss  that  yawned 


THE    WAR    OF    THE    STUDENTS.  129 

between  the  two  rival  and  opposing  portions  of  the 
battalion.  I  was  quite  sure  that,  if  Wolf  Penniman 
had  been  with  us,  his  engineering  abilities  would 
have  enabled  him  to  walk  right  over  it.  But  he  was 
not  with  us,  and  we  should  be  compelled  to  over- 
come the  difficulty  ourselves. 

"  Halt ! "  said  Briscoe,  at  the  head  of  the  column, 
after  we  had  marched  about  a  mile. 

Stepping  forward,  I  saw  the  two  scouts,  whom 
Faxon  had  posted  in  the  road  to  observe  the. move- 
ments of  Tommy's  force  during  his  absence.  We 
could  not  yet  see  High  Bluff,  as  it  was  concealed 
by  the  foliage  of  the  trees. 

"What  are  they  doing,  Langdon?"  asked  Briscoe 
of  one  of  them,  whom  he  had  called  from  his  station. 

"  Nothing  but  fixing  up  the  camp,"  replied  the 
scout.  "  Some  of  them  are  cooking  their  supper,  and 
others  are  loafing  about  the  bluff.  I  should  judge 
that  they  had  everything  ai'ranged  to  suit  them- 
selves. There  are  a  couple  of  sentinels  near  the 
road,  who  seem  to  be  looking  out  for  us.  You  can 
go  up  there  and  take  a  look  without  being  seen." 

Briscoe  and  I  walked  forward   till  we   obtained  a 


130  SWITCH   OFF,    OR 

full  view  of  High  Bluff.  The  situation  was  sub- 
stantially as  Faxon  had  described  it.  The  tents  were 
pitched  on  the  highest  part  of  the  promontory.  The 
arms  were  stacked  in  front  of  them.  Near  the  gully, 
the  material  of  which  the  bridge  had  been  composed 
was  piled  up.  On  one  side,  a  party  were  engaged 
in  cooking.  The  chasm  between  the  road  and  the 
camp  seemed  impassable  to  me,  for  I  was  no  engi- 
neer. I  could  not  help  commending  Tommy  for  the 
good  judgment  he  had  displayed  in  choosing  this 
natural  fortress  for  his  camp,  though  I  could  not  see 
how  he  intended  to  carry  his  point. 

"  Have  they  seen  ■  you  yet,  Langdon  ? "  asked 
Briscoe    of  the   scout. 

"  No ;  I'm  sure  they  don't  know  that  we  are  with- 
in five  miles  of  them." 

"  We  may  as  well  keep  still,  then.  Don't  you 
think   so,   Skotchley  ? " 

"  For  the  present,  at  least.  Here  is  a  good  place 
to  camp,"  I  replied,  pointing  to  a  grove  by  the  side 
of  the  road. 

"  That  will  be  as  good  as  we  can  find,"  he  replied. 

The  spot  was  a  perfect  paradise  of  lovely  scenery. 


THE    WAR   OP    THE    STUDENTS.  131 

The  ground,  comprising  about  half  an  acre,  was 
smooth.  It  was  fenced  in  with  picturesque  rocks, 
except  on  the  side  nearest  to  the  arm  of  the  lake 
which  separated  it  from  High  Bluff.  All  around  and 
above  us,  the  trees  grew  out  of  the  crevices  in  the 
rocks.  Into  this  shady  retreat  Briscoe  marched  our 
forces.  Jed's  wagon  was  unloaded,  and  its  contents 
piled  up  in  a  convenient  place. 

"  What  are  you  going  to  do  now  ? "  asked  Jed, 
after  he  had  turned  his  mare,  in  readiness  to  return 
home. 

"Probably  we  shall  not  do  anything  to-night,"  re- 
plied Briscoe. 

"If  I  were  you,  I  would  go  on  that  bluff,  and  clean 
them  out  before  to-morrow  morning,"  laughed  Jed. 

"How  would  you  get  over  there?"  I  inquired. 

"  Come  with  me,  and  I'll  tell  you." 

Jed  led  the  way  to  the  arm  of  the  lake  nearest 
to  us.  At  the  part  adjoining  the  road  it  was  not 
more  than  thirty  feet  wide.  Pointing  to  a  tall  pine, 
he  gave  a  significant  nod. 

"Don't  you  see  it  now?"  he  inquired,  with  a  broad 
grin. 


132  SWITCH    OFF,    OB 

"No,  I  don't,"  replied  Briscoe. 

"You  are  not  so  smart  as  you  were  this  fore- 
noon," laughed  Jed.  "Don't  you  see  that  you  can 
cut  that  tree  down,  and  let  it  drop  over  the  gully, 
so  as  to  make  a  bridge  for  you?" 

"Cut  it  down!     Plow?     With  a  jackknife?" 

"  No,  with  an  axe." 

"  We  haven't  any  axe,  in  the  first  place ;  and  in 
the  second,  if  we  had,  we  couldn't  fell  that  tree  in 
seven  years." 

"I  can  fetch  that  tree  down  in  half  an  hour,  as 
easy  as  I  can  turn  my  hand." 

"  We  couldn't  if  we  had  a  dozen  axes,'  added 
Briscoe. 

"  Well,  see  here ;  you  have  done  us  a  good  turn 
to-day,  boys,  and  I'll  bring  down  an  axe  and  drop 
it  for  you." 

"That's  the  idea!"  exclaimed  Briscoe.  "We  shall 
be  ever  so  much  obliged  to  you,  if  you  will." 

"I'll  do  it,  and  welcome." 

"But  we  must  not  let  them  know  on  the  bluff 
what  we  are  about,"  I  suggested. 

"  Certainly   not,"    added    Briscoe.      "  I    see   it   all 


THE    WAR    Or    THE    STUDENTS.  133 

plain  enough  now.  We  will  make  a  demonstration 
over  by  the  road,  as  though  we  were  going  to  throw 
a  bridge  across  the  chasm."    . 

"That's  the  idea!  The  brush  on  the  edge  here 
is  so  thick  that  Tommy's  fellows  can't  see  what  we 
are  about  until  the  pine  falls.  Then  we  will  rush 
over  on  the  tree,  and  capture  the  fortress." 

Jed  promised  to  be  on  the  ground  the  next  morn- 
ing with  his  sharp  axe,  and  then  started  for  home. 
Briscoe  and  I  surveyed  the  ground  again.  We  could 
do  nothing  that  night,  and,  if  we  kept  out  of  sight, 
probably  Tommy  would  think  we  had  returned  to 
Middleport  in  disgust.  We  were  willing  he  should 
think  so,  and  we  instructed  our  fellows  to  keep  as 
quiet  as  possible.  But  it  was  necessary  to  have  a 
fire,  in  order  to  make  coffee,  for  which  we  had  brought 
with  us  all  the  materials.  The  smoke  and  the  light 
were  liable  to  betray  us ;  but  it  was  agreed  all  around 
that  it  would  be  better  to  be  betrayed  than  do  with- 
out the  coffee. 

Faxon,  while  at  the  store,  had  been  thoughtful 
enough  to  pi'ovide  a  supply  of  tin  cups.  We  had  a 
can  of  milk  in  the  cold  water  of  the  brook.     Several 


134  SWITCH    OFF,    OR 

of  our  fellows  were  experienced  in  cooking,  and  if 
we  had  supped  with  the  Lord  Mayor  of  London,  we 
could  not  have  heen  better  satisfied  with  the  fare, 
though  we  had  only  bread  and  butter  and  cheese. 
And  never  were  eighty-five  young  gentlemen  happier, 
or  better  pleased  with  themselves,  than  we  were.  It 
was  the  night  before  the  battle ;  but  we  were  con- 
tent to  wait,  though,  as  it  happened,  the  battle  com- 
menced that  night,  and  very  soon  after  we  had  finished 
our  supper.  Perhaps  it  was  just  as  well,  for  the 
coffee  was  rather  trying  to  our  nerves,  and  we  did 
not  wish  to  sleep. 


THE    WAR    OF    THE    STUDENTS.  135 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

A   SURVEY   OP   THE    SITUATION. 

"E  enjoyed  our  supper  very  much,  for  hunger 
is  the  best  sauce.  If  the  same  meal  had  been 
set  before  us  in  the  refectory  of  the  Institute,  we 
should  have  deemed  ourselves  a  much  injured  body 
of  students,  because  there  were  neither  cakes  nor 
pastry,  preserves  nor  relishes.  But  the  coffee  made 
us  decidedly  shaky  in  the  nerves,  as  I  have  before 
hinted.  We  had  it  only  in  the  morning  at  the  acade- 
my, and  then  not  half  so  strong  as  our  cooks  made  it 
on  the  present  occasion. 

As  the  darkness  began  to  gather,  some  of  the  in- 
genious ones  set  themselves  at  work  to  provide  beds 
for  the  night,  and  various  expedients  were  resorted  to, 
with  no  mean  results.  One  of  our  blankets  was  big 
enough  to  cover  two  students,  and  with  the  other  the 
couple  made  a  kind  of  shelter  tent.     The  dry  foliage 


13G  SWITCH    OFF,    OR 

of  the  pine  trees,  which  carpeted  the  ground  in  the 
grove,  formed  a  soft  and  comfortable  bed,  and  there 
was  no  danger  that  any  one  would  suffer,  unless  he 
was  too  lazy  to  provide  himself  with  suitable  accom- 
modations. We  were  used  to  camping  out,  though 
we  were  generally  supplied  with  straw  to  sleep  upon  ; 
but  the  pine  foliage  was  a  good  substitute. 

By  the  time  we  had  finished  our  suppers  we  were 
satisfied  that  Tommy's  forces  must  be  aware  .of  our 
presence  in  the  vicinity.  Briscoe  had  stationed  a 
couple  of  our  fellows  near  the  ravine,  where  they 
could  see  all  that  transpired  on  High  Bluff,  with  or- 
ders to  report  any  unusual  movement  on  the  part  of 
the  enemy  —  for  as  such  we  now  regarded  the  major's 
forces,  at  least  in  a  technical  sense,  though  I  am  sure 
there  was  no  real  hatred  between  the  parties.  We 
were  contending  very  much  as  we  would  have  played 
a  game  of  base  ball,  or  football. 

After  supper  Briscoe  and  I  walked  over  to  the  sen- 
tinels' post.  A  group  on  the  other  side  were  atten- 
tively surveying  the  ground  in  the  vicinity  of  our 
camp.  They  did  not  speak  so  that  we  could  hear 
them,  but  we  were  satisfied  that  they  had  discovered 


THE    WAR   OF   THE    STUDENTS.  137 

us.  They  seemed  to  be  much  annoyed  and  disturbed 
at  the  fact  that  we  had  halted  so  near  them  without 
making  any  demonstration  to  apprise  them  of  our 
presence.  Probably  they  suspected  that  we  were  up 
to  some  trick,  and  intended  secretly,  in  the  sombre 
shades  of  midnight,  to  assault  their  fortress,  and  carry 
it  by  storm. 

"  As  they  seem  to  be  expecting  something,  I  think 
we  had  better  stir  them  up  a  little,"  said  the  senior 
captain,  in  a  low  voice. 

"How  stir  them  up?" 

"  Why,  make  a  feint  at  some  point  where  we  don't 
intend  to  do  anything — just  for  the  fun  of  the  thing," 
laughed  my  companion. 

"  If  we  could  only  get  over  there,  we  could  cap- 
ture their  camp  in  about  two  minutes  and  three 
quarters." 

"  I  don't  know  about  that.  Sixty-five  fellows,  with 
guns  and  bayonets,,  would  be  more  than  a  match  for 
eighty-five  without  anything,"  replied  Briscoe. 

"  The  bayonet  don't  amount  to  much,  nor  the  guns 
either,  without  powder  and  ball.  A  long  pole,  in  our 
kind  of  warfare,  is  just  as  good  as  a  fixed  bayonet.     I 


138  SWITCH   OFF,    OR 

saw  a  pile  of  hoop-poles  on  the  road,  half  a  mile  back. 
We  could  arm  ourselves  with  them,  and  be  just  as  for- 
midable as  though  we  had  bayonets." 

"  But  Tommy  got  a  little  ahead  of  us  when  he  took 
away  our  muskets." 

"  That's  so ;  and  I  feel  just  a  little  cheap  about  it, 
though  it  was  no  great  achievement  on  his   part." 

"  Still  I  should  like  to  get  even  with  him  on  this 
point." 

"So  should  I." 

"We  ought  to  have  gumption  enough  to  get  over 
a  chasm  thirty  feet  wide,"  added  Briscoe,  rubbing  his 
head  to  stimulate  his  ideas. 

"  We  could  get  over  easily  enough  if  we  only  had 
the  material  to  work  with.  I  don't  think  the  gully 
is  so  wide  over  by  the  road." 

"  Perhaps  not ;  but  what  could  we  do  if  it  were  not 
more  than  twenty,  or  even  ten,  feet  wide  ?  "  asked  the 
senior  captain,  anxiously;  for  he  was  ripe  for  any 
undertaking  that  would  give  us  even  a  temporary 
advantage,  or  enable  us  to  obtain  our  guns. 

"  Let  us  find  a  narrow  place  in  the  gully  first ;  then 
we  will  see  what  can  be  done." 


THE   WAR   OF   THE    STUDENTS.  139 

We  left  the  spot,  and  examined  the  gully  nearly  to 
the  lake  on  the  upper  side  of  High  Bluff.  The  nar- 
rowest place  was  at  the  side  of  the  road  where 
Tommy's  party  had  removed  the  bridge ;  but  even 
here  it  was  over  twenty  feet  wide.  However,  it  was 
not  more  than  fifteen  feet  deep,  the  waters  of  the 
stream  falling  into  the  lake  over  a  series  of  cascades. 
It  was  a  noisy  torrent  in  the  gully,  though  there  were 
plenty  of  rocks  above  the  water  to  afford  us  a  stand- 
ing place  if  we  could  descend  into  the  abyss.  This 
was  the  most  hopeful  point  for  operations,  and  a 
suggestion  of  a  plan  by  which  the  difficulty  might 
be  overcome  dawned  upon  my  mind  ;  but,  as  we  had 
nothing  to  work  with,  I  did  not  mention  the  idea 
to  my  companion. 

We  continued  our  walk  to  the  lake  above  the  bluff. 
Just  above  the  inlet  we  found  an  inclined  plane  in  the 
rocks  leading  down  to  the  lake.  Though  nature  had 
prepared  the  way  for  this  descent,  the  hotel-keeper  at 
Priam  had  done  most  of  the  work ;  for  off  the  point 
of  which  High  Bluff  formed  the  extremity  were  the 
best  fishing  grounds  on  the  lake.  At  the  foot  of  the 
inclined  plane,  moored  off  in  the  lake,  was  a  kind  of 


140  SWITCH   OFF,    OR 

raft,  such  as  that  upon  which  my  friend  Wolf  had 
picked  up  Colonel  Wimpleton,  for  the  convenience 
of  the  fishermen.  It  was  reached  by  a  plank,  about 
twenty-five  feet  long,  covered  with  ledges  to  prevent 
the  person  who  went  down  upon  it  from  slipping. 

"Here  is  just  what  we  want,"  I  suggested,  as  Bris- 
coe and  I  walked  down  the  plank  to  the  raft. 

"What?" 

"This  plank." 

"  To  cross  the  ravine  ?  " 

"  Yes." 

"  Good ! " 

"  We  can  cross  that  ravine  just  as  easily  as  though 
it  were  not  more  than  two  feet  wide,"  I  added,  with 
enthusiasm;  for  I  was  quite  anxious  to  make  a  reputa- 
tion as  an  engineer,  for  that  was  the  foundation  of  my 
great  regard  for  my  friend  Wolf. 

"I  don't  see  it! "laughed  Briscoe.  "You  can  get 
this  plank  up  to  the  gully ;  but  it  will  be  another  thing 
to  put  it  across  the  chasm.  Let  me  tell  you,  this  is  a 
pretty  heavy  piece  of  lumber." 

"I  know  that." 

"If  you  mean  to  stand  it  up  on  one  end,  and  then 


THE    WAR   0E    THE    STUDENTS.  141 

let  it  fall  across  the  gully,  I  want  to  tell  you,  in  the 
beginning,  that  not  enough  of  our  fellows  can  take 
hold  of  it  to  raise  it  to  a  perpendicular,"  said  Briscoe, 
anticipating  a  difficulty. 

"  I  don't  intend  to  do  it  in  that  way,"  I  answered, 
rather  smartly,  for  I  was  not  pleased  to  have  my  new- 
fledged  engineering  skill  disputed.  "  If  you  will  leave 
the  matter  to  me,  I  will  give  you  my  bond,  in  the 
penal  sum  of  two  cents,  to  put  this  plank  across  the 
bridge  as  soon  as  it  is  dark  enough  to  cover  the 
operation." 

"I  appoint  you  engineer-in-chief  of  the  army  of  the 
rebels,"  replied  Briscoe,  with  his  usual  good-nature. 
"But  how  are  you  going  to  do  the  job?" 

"  I  have  no  doubt  you  will  trump  up  plenty  of 
objections  to  the  method  if  I  state  it ;  therefore  I 
would  rather  not  do  so." 

"  Just  as  you  please,  Skotchley." 

"  Don't  be  offended.  Of  course  I  will  tell  you  if 
you  desire  it." 

"No;  I  don't  care." 

"I  will  take  the  responsibility  of  the  job." 

"All  right." 


142  SWITCH   OFF,   OR 

"But  I  want  about  a  dozen  of  the  stoutest  of  our 
fellows." 

"You  shall  have  the  whole  crowd." 

"  I  don't  want  them.     They  would  be  in  my  way." 

"  But  you  will  permit  me  to  ask  whether  you  think 
Tommy's  fellows  will  let  you  cross  your  bridge  after 
you  have  laid  it  down,"  continued  Briscoe.  "  You 
must  remember  that  the  regular  army,  with  guns 
and  bayonets,  is  on  one  side,  while  you  are  on  the 
other." 

"  If  I  understand  your  purpose,  all  you  wish  to 
do  to-night  is  to  obtain  our  guns." 

"  That's  all.  When  we  go  over  to  the  election  we 
will  use  the  tree  which  Jed  will  fell  for  us.  But  while 
we  are  about  it,  and  you  have  your  bridge  across  the 
chasm,  why  not  capture  the  bluff?" 

"  That  would  spoil  all  the  fun.  We  want  to  step 
in  about  the  time  Tommy  is  holding  the  election, 
and  cast  our  votes  for  a  good  and  true  man  for 
major." 

"  Precisely  so ;  but  if  Jed  should  not  come,  or  his 
plan  should  not  work — " 

"Hold  on,  Briscoe!" 


THE    WAR    OF    THE    STUDENTS.  143 

"  What's  the  matter  now  ? "  demanded  Briscoe, 
startled  by  my  enthusiasm  as  a  new  idea  took  pos- 
session of  me. 

"  We  must  regulate  this  matter  a  little." 

"How?" 

"On  the  whole,  I  think  it  will  be  better  to  have 
the  election  come  off  in  legal  earnest." 

"Why  don't  you  say  what  you  mean,  Skotchley!" 
added  the  senior  captain,  impatient  with  me,  as  my 
ideas  so  far  outreached  my  speech. 

"  I  will.  We  must  give  Tommy  men  enough  to 
let  him  have  a  quorum.  We  will  pick  out  ten  good 
fellows,  true-blue,  and  send  them  over  to-night  —  let 
them  walk  the  plank.  Of  course  -they  are  not  to  vote 
for  Tommy  for  major." 

"They  can  if  they  like,"  added  Briscoe,  modestly. 

"  They  will  not.  To-morrow  noon,  when  the 
balloting  has  commenced,  the  rest  of  us  will  go  over 
on  the  tree,  and  see  that  the  election  goes  as  it 
should. 

"Suppose  the  tree  should  not  work  to  suit  us?" 
suggested  the  prudent  senior  captain. 

"Then  we  can  throw  this  plank  over  again.     But 


144  SWITCH   OFF,    OE 

there  will  be  no  trouble  about  the  tree  —  not  a 
bit." 

"All  right;  I  am  satisfied." 

"I  want  you  to  make  a  demonstration,  Briscoe, 
while  we  are  laying  down  the  plank." 

"I'm  ready;  what  shall  it  be?" 

"Anything  you  like." 

"  As  you  are  engineer,  you  must  say  what  you  will 
have  done." 

"You  can  take  this  raft  and  work  it  over  to  the 
bluff,  for  I  shall  want  one  of  the  ropes  with  which 
it  is  moored,  and  make  a  feint  of  scaling  the  rocks. 
This  will  bring  all  of  Tommy's  fellows  to  the  spot, 
and  I  shall  be  permitted  to  work  without  interrup- 
tion." 

"  Well,  I  will  do  so.  It  is  not  necessary  for  me  to 
remind  you  that  this  raft  and  this  plank  do  not  be- 
long to  us." 

"  We  will  leave  everything  just  as  we  find  it,  and 
make  it  all  right  with  the  hotel-keeper  when  we  get 
to  Priam." 

"  I  don't  like  to  meddle  with  private  property." 

"  Nor  I ;  but  it  is  one  of  the  necessities  of  war." 


THE    WAR   OF   THE    STUDENTS.  145 

"Humph!  Well,  we  will  pay  the  damage,  and 
recommend  the  hotel  to  all  our  friends.  Mine  host 
will  be  satisfied,  I  know." 

Having  thus  disposed  of  this  difficult  question,  we 
walked  back  to  the  camp. 
10 


146  SWITCH   OFF,   OB 


CHAPTER  XIV. 


SERGEANT    HACKEES    VISIT. 


^HE  foliage  was  so  dense  in  the  vicinity  of  High 
Bluff  that  we  could,  for  the  most  part,  perform 
our  operations  without  being  seen.  By  the  time  we 
reached  the  camp,  on  our  return,  it  was  dark ;  but 
it  was  a  bright,  starlight  evening,  so  that  we  could 
prosecute  our  enterprise  without  difficulty.  A  blast 
of  Fryes's  bugle  gathered  our  fellows  together  in  the 
road,  whither  they  eagerly  rushed,  anxious  to  ascertain 
what  was  to  be  done. 

It  required  a  full  hour  to  explain  our  plans  and 
purposes  to  all  the  fellows,  who  were  more  inquisitive 
than  Briscoe.  All  of  them  were  ready  to  engage  in 
the  enterprise,  and  I  was  more  afraid  their  enthusi- 
asm would  overdo  the  matter  than  that  the  want  of 
zeal  would  defeat  it.  The  ten  who  were  to  help  out 
Tommy  in  obtaining  a  quorum  were  carefully  selected. 


THE    WAR    OF    THE    STUDENTS.  147 

None  of  them  had  ever  heen  noisy  partisans  against 
the  major,  and  would  not  excite  suspicion  when  they 
appeared  at  High  Bluff,  but  would  readily  be  regarded 
as  willing  converts  to  Toppletonianisrn. 

The  party  who  were  to  assist  me  were  also  detailed, 
and,  in  company  with  them,  I  went  back  to  the  pile 
of  hoop-poles  we  had  seen,  and  obtained  a  supply  of 
these  sticks  '■ —  not  so  much  for  weaj^ons  as  for  work- 
ing tools.  Briscoe,  who  was  to  make  the  feint  with 
the  rest  of  the  force,  waited  my  return  in  the  vicinity 
of  the  bridge,  his  fellows  amusing  themselves  in  the 
mean  time  to  suit  their  own  fancy.  As  my  party  ap- 
proached the  bridge,  Corporal  Dunbold  met  me,  with 
a  message  from  my  senior. 

"  Captain  Briscoe  says  you  are  to  lie  low  for  a  little 
while,"  said  he. 

"What's  the  matter  now?" 

"  I  don't  exactly  know  ;  but  some  of  the  fellows 
say  there  is  a  spy  among  us  from  the  other  side." 

"  How  did  he  get  across  the  gully  ?  " 

"  I  don't  know.  Captain  Briscoe  says  you  will  keep 
your  fellows  out  of  sight,  and  join  him  at  the  bridge. 
I  will  show  you  where  he  is." 


148  SWITCH    OFF,    OR 

I  halted  my  party,  and,  telling  them  to  remain 
where  they  were  until  my  return,  I  followed  the  cor- 
poral, much  wondering  what  this  new  phase  of  the 
situation  signified.  I  found  Briscoe  seated  on  a  rock 
beyond  the  bridge. 

"What's  up?"  I  inquired. 

"  Sergeant  Hacker  has  come  over  to  pay  us  a 
visit." 

"  How  did  he  get  over  ?  " 

"  That's  a  mystery  to  me.  Probably  Haven,  who  is 
more  familiar  with  this  region  than  any  of  the  rest  of 
us,  knew  of  a  way  to  cross  the  gully  before  he  pulled 
down  the  bridge,"  replied  Briscoe. 

"What  is  he  after?" 

"  Converts,  I  suppose." 

"Well,  we  have  some  for  him.  Where  is  he 
now  ? " 

"He  is  holding  a  confab  with  two  or  three  of 
our  fellows  at  the  side  of  the  road.  I  thought  of 
capturing  him  as  a  spy ;  but  I  think  now  that  he 
will  help  us  out  with  the  little  plan  we  matured," 
laughed  Briscoe.  "  He  was  skulking  about  here  some 
time  before  I  knew  he  was  among;  us." 


THE   WAE   OF   THE    STUDENTS.  149 

"Perhaps  he  has  discovered  what  we  are  about," 
I  suggested,  with  some  alarm. 

"  No ;  he  isn't  any  wiser  than  the  law  allows. 
As  soon  as  I  made  him  out,  I  stopped  everything, 
and  cautioned  the  fellows  not  to  open  their  mouths 
about  anything  we  are  doing." 

"What  does  he  say?" 

"  He  hasn't  said  anything  to  me.  I  understand  he 
asked  a  few  of  the  fellows  if  they  did  not  want 
some  supper.  A  minute  or  two  before  you  joined  me 
I  contrived  to  have  Bowles,  who,  you  know,  is  one  of 
the  ten  who  are  to  help  Tommy  make  up  a  quorum 
to-morrow,  fall  in  his  way.  They  walked  down  the 
road  together,  and  I  suppose  Bowles  will  make  some 
kind  of  a  trade  with  him." 

"Are  you  sure  Bowles  is  all  right?" 

"Of  course  I  am." 

"Suppose  Hacker  should  offer  him  a  commission, 
as  an  agent  of  the  major." 

"Let  him  offer  it!     I  know  Bowles  well  enough." 

I  was  not  much  afraid  of  him-  myself,*  but  I  was 
extremely  anxious  to  know  what  Hacker  had  to  say. 
The  conference  was  in  progress  only  a  few  rods  from 


150  SWITCH   OFF,    OK 

the  spot  where  I  was.  I  left  the  road,  and  creeping 
softly  on  the  pine  furze  which  strewed  the  ground 
where  our  camp  was  located,  I  obtained  a  position 
near  the  spy  and  his  presumed  victim.  The  roar  of 
the  brook,  as  it  tumbled  over  the  rocks,  favored  my 
movement,  and  enabled  me  to  secure  my  position 
without  discovery. 

Sergeant  Hacker,  in  the  truest  sense  of  the  word, 
was  a  partisan  of  Tommy  Toppleton.  He  was  look- 
ing out  for  himself,  and  being  a  tolerably  good  soldier, 
he  doubtless  expected  to  be  chosen  a  lieutenant,  if 
not  a  captain,  in  the  approaching  election,  so  that 
while  working  for  the  major  he  was  really  working 
for  himself;  and  this  is  generally  the  character  of  vio- 
lent partisans.  On  the  other  hand,  Bowles  was  not 
a  partisan,  though  he  was  a  shrewd  and  trustworthy 
fellow.  The  conference  appeared  to  have  just  begun, 
for  I  suppose  there  was  an  introduction  through  which 
the  main  topic  had  to  be  reached. 

"But  are  you  not  hungry?"  asked  the  messenger 
from  the  other  side. 

"  No,  not  very,"  replied  Bowles,  with  his  usual  cool- 


THE   WAR   OF    THE    STUDENTS.  151 

ness.  "  We  had  a  good  dinner  at  the  farm-house  after 
we  had  put  out  the  fire." 

"But  you  will  be  hungry  in  the  morning,  if  you 
are  not  to-night,"  suggested  Hacker,  who  seemed  de- 
termined to  make  the  question  of  rations  the  chief 
one. 

"Very  likely  we  shall  be." 

"  What  are  you  going  to  do  ? " 

"  Well,  we  leave  all  that  to  Briscoe,  who  is  our 
commander  now." 

"Do  you  expect  to  find  anything  to  eat  in  this 
place  in  the  woods  ?  " 

"  We  may  go  over  to  High  Bluff,  and  help  our- 
selves out  of  the  common  stock.  I  take  it  we  own 
a  share  of  it." 

"You  can't  get  over." 

"  Perhaps  we  can.  How  did  you  get  over,  Hack- 
er?" 

"I  have  a  way." 

"  We  may  find  a  way." 

"  I  think  not.  The  bridge  is  taken  up,  and  you 
might  as  well  try  to  jump  across  the  lake  as  over 
that  gully." 


152  SWITCH   OFF,   OR 

"  What  did  you  come  over  for,  Hacker  ?  What 
are  you  driving  at?  You  needn't  beat  about  the 
bush  any  longer,"  interposed  Bowles. 

"  O,  I  only  came  over  to  see  how  you  were  getting 
along." 

"  You  didn't  come  for  that.  You  want  something. 
Why  don't  you  say  what  it  is  ? " 

"I  didn't  know  but  some  of  the  fellows  might 
want  to  go  over  to  the  bluff,  where  they  could"  get 
something  to  eat,  and  have  a  chance  in  the  tents. 
But,  if  they  do  not,  I  will  go  back  again." 

"  I  would  like  to  go  over,  for  one,"  replied  Bowles, 
promptly. 

"All  right;  come  along." 

"  I'm  ready." 

"  But  are  there  not  some  other  fellows  who  would 
like  to  go?" 

"  Very  likely  there  are.     How  many  do  you  want  ?  " 

"  O,  ten  or  a  dozen,"  added  the  messenger,  with 
seeming  indifference.  "  By  the  way,  Bowles,  you 
know  the  election  of  officers  was  postponed  till  to- 
morrow noon." 

"  So  it  was,  now  I  think  of  it." 


THE   WAR   OF    THE    STUDENTS.  153 

"  Bowles,  I  always  liked  you,  and  so  did  Tommy 
Toppleton.  If  you  want  to  be  a  sergeant,  you  can 
have  the  place." 

"  Thank  you.  I  shouldn't  mind  being  a  sergeant. 
In  fact,  I  should  rather  like  it." 

"Our  fellows  would  like  to  appoint  you." 

"  Well,  I  will  give  them  a  chance  to  do  so." 

"But  you  know  some  of  the  fellows  are  trying  to 
run  Tommy  out,"  added  Hacker,  in  a  low  tone. 

"I  have  heard  something  of  that  sort,"  continued 
Bowles ;  and  certainly  no  one  could  accuse  him  of 
ever  seeming  to  care  anything  about  the  matter. 

"  There  are  some  good  fellows  over  here,  and  wc, 
don't  like  to  have  them  lying  on  the  ground  without 
any  tents,  and  with  nothing  to  eat.  If  you  have  a 
mind  to  pick  out  ten  or  a  dozen  of  them,  I  will  get 
them  over  to  High  Bluff." 

"I  will  do  so." 

"  I  don't  know  but  we  can  make  you  a  second 
lieutenant,  if  you  will." 

"  Well,  that  is  worth  trying  for." 

"  If  those  fellows  mean  to  stick  to  Briscoe,  Tommy 
is  willing  they  should.     He  intends  to  leave  them  out 


154  SWITCH   OFF,   OE 

in  the  cold.  When  they  are  willing  to  come  back  to 
their  duty,  and  obey  all  orders,  he  will  let  them  up ; 
but  the  officers  who  mutinied  are  to  be  punished." 

"  How  punished  ?  " 

"  Reduced  to  the  ranks,  at  least,"  said  the  sergeant, 
with  energy.  "All  who  are  willing  to  come  back 
now  will  be  received.  Tommy  can  have  it  all  his 
own  way." 

"  I  am  ready  to  go  over,  for  one." 

«  Well,  who  are  the  others  ?  " 

"  There's  the  trouble.  I  have  no  chance  to  talk 
with  them  to-night." 

This  seemed  to  be  the  difficulty,  and  it  was  dis- 
cussed for  some  time.  Hacker  proposed  several  plans, 
all  of  which  were  rejected  by  Bowles,  who  at  last 
promised  to  meet  the  sergeant  near  the  gully  in  half 
an  hour,  after  he  had  sounded  some  of  our  party. 
Certainly  our  representative  managed  his  case  very 
well,  and  I  was  entirely  satisfied  with  him.  He  left 
the  spot,  and  walked  back  towards  Briscoe.  I  rushed 
forward  in  the  opposite  direction,  and  reached  the 
road  so  as  to  be  between  Hacker  and  his  objective 
point,  for  T  was  desirous  of  speaking  with  him. 


THE    WAE   OF    THE    STUDENTS.  155 

"Who  goes  there?"  I  called,  as  the  messenger  ap- 
proached. 

"  Sergeant  Hacker,"  replied  the  spy.  "  Captain 
Skotchley,  I  believe.  I  have  been  looking  for  an 
officer." 

"  What  are  you  doing  here  ?  " 

"Flag  of  truce,"  he  replied,  exhibiting  his  white 
handkerchief.  "  I  have  a  message  from  Major  Top- 
pleton." 

"Deliver  it." 

"  He  desires  to  say  that  any  of  the  mutineers  will 
be  admitted  to  the  camp,  and  may  return  to  their 
duty,  excepting  only  the  commissioned  officers,  upon 
their  promise  to  obey  all  orders." 

"  That's  very  kind  of  him.  Pray,  what  is  to  become 
of  the  officers  ?  " 

"The  captains  will  be  court-martialed." 

"  Tell  him  we  will  all  be  over  there  to-morrow, 
and  ask  him  to  have  his  court-martial  ready,"  I  re- 
plied, rather  disgusted  with  the  proffered  terms. 

"You  will  not  go  over  without  the  major's  per- 
mission," retorted  Hacker. 

"Perhaps  not." 


l6Q  SWITCH    OFF,   OR 

"  You  forget  that  we  have  all  the  arms ;  and  I 
think  we  can  protect  our  carnp  from  intrusion." 

"If  that's    all    you  have  to  say,  you  can  return." 

"Major  Toppleton  does  not  wish  to  be  responsi- 
ble for  your  uncomfortable  position  here,  without  food 
or  tents." 

"  He  needn't  trouble  himself." 

"  You  can  deliver  bis  message  to  your  men.  If 
you  choose  to  submit,  and  promise  to  obey  orders, 
he  is  ready  to  receive  you  back." 

"  We  are  not  quite  ready,"  I  answered. 

"  Very  well ;  the  consequences  are  with  you  then," 
replied  Hacker,  moving  towards  the  bluff. 

I  permitted  him  to  depart  in  peace,  so  as  not  to 
disturb  Bowles's  plan,  whatever  it  might  be,  though 
I  was  disposed  to  arrest  him  as  a  spy  upon  our  ground. 
Joining  Briscoe  at  the  bridge,  I  found  him  confer- 
ring with  Bowles  in  regard  to  the  filling  up  of 
Tommy's  quorum. 


THE   WAR  OF   THE   STUDENTS.  157 


CHAPTER    XV. 


A   STRATEGIC    MOVEMENT. 


"  £1  HALL  the  balance  of  Tommy's  quorum  go 
K^  over  to-night,  or  to-morrow?  That's  the 
question,"  said  Briscoe,  as  I  joined  him  at  the 
biidge. 

"  I   don't   want  to  go   to-night,"   added  Bowles. 

"Why   not?" 

"  I   want   to  see   the   fun." 

"  You  can  see  just  as  well  from  the  other  side 
of  the  chasm,"  I  suggested.  "  Besides,  you  may 
be   able   to   serve   us   better   there   than   here." 

"  What  can  I  do  ? "  asked  Bowles.  "  If  I  can 
be  of  any  use  over  there  to  our  party,  I  am  will- 
ing to   go." 

"  You  can,"  said  Briscoe.  "  We  only  intend  to 
obtain  our  arms  to-night  —  that's  all.  We  desire 
to  have    the    election    go    on   just    as    though   the 


158  SWITCH     OFF,    OR 

whole  crowd  were  there.  We  intend  to  be  present 
at  the  right  time.  You  know  where  we  are  going 
to  operate,  and  yon  must  serve  us  on  the  bluff, 
as  you  see  opportunity  to  do  so,  only  don't  be  too 
zealous." 

:'  I'll  go,  and   do  the  best   I  can,"  replied   Bowles. 

He  called  up  the  nine  who  were  to  go  with  him, 
and  planned  the  matter  to  suit  himself.  Conduct- 
ing them  towards  the  chasm,  he  was  soon  joined 
by  Hacker,  and  all  of  them  disappeared  in  the 
woods.  I  was  very  curious  to  know  how  the  party 
was  to  be  transferred  to  High  Bluff;  but  I  was  soon 
satisfied  that  it  was  not  by  crossing  the  gully. 
Briscoe  and  I  had  agreed  to  keep  the  rest  of  our 
fellows  back,  for  Bowles  had  gone  off  with  great 
pretensions  to  secrecy,  as  though  he  were  veritably 
deserting  with  his  followers.  I  crept  over  to  the  rocks 
near  the  fishing  raft,  and  soon  discovered  that  the 
party  were  there.  They  were  in  the  act  of  em- 
barking in  a  large  boat,  which,  I  concluded,  belonged 
to  the  raft,  and  was  the  property  of  the  hotel- 
keeper.  They  pushed  off,  and  disappeared  in  the 
darkness.     It  was  evident,  therefore,  that   there  was 


THE    WAR    OF    THE    STUDENTS.  159 

some  way  of  reaching  the  summit  of  the  bluff  from 
the  lake  side. 

The  coast  was  clear  now,  and  our  fellows  were 
silently  led  to  the  raft  by  Briscoe.  Those  who 
were  to  assist  me  pulled  up  the  plank,  and,  having 
secured  one  of  the  ropes  with  which  the  raft  was 
moored,  we  carried  it  to  the  road  near  the  point 
where   the   bridge   had   been    removed. 

"  Now  we  want  to  know  whether  there  are  any 
sentinels  on  this  side  of  the  bluff,"  said  I  to  Ser- 
geant Langdon. 

"  I   don't  see    any." 

"  Go  to  the  chasm,  and  make  a  slight  noise.  If 
there   is  any  one  there,  it  will  start   him  up." 

Langdon  soon  reported  that  he  could  discover  no 
one.  I  had  not  seen  any  guard  in  this  direction 
since  dark.  Tommy  was  doubtless  satisfied  that  a 
chasm  twenty-four  feet  wide,  with  perpendicular  sides, 
could  not  be  passed  by  any  of  our  party.  It  had  been 
arranged  between  Briscoe  and  myself  that  his  party 
should  make  noise  enough  to  engage  the  attention 
of  all  on  the  bluff,  while  mine  were  bridging  the 
gully.     As   I  was  attaching   the   rope  to  one  end  of 


160  SWITCH    OFF,     OR 

the  plank,  I  heard  the  shouts  of  our  co-laborers 
beyond  the  promontory.  They  had  pushed  the  raft 
into  position  beneath  the  bluff,  and  now  waked  the 
echoes  of  the  night  with  their   yells. 

The  alarm  was  promptly  given  in  the  camp.  We 
saw  the  garrison  rush  to  the  place  where  the  arms 
were  stacked,  and  we  lay  low  until  they  had  left 
for  the  point  of  danger.  There  was  evidently  a 
great  deal  of  excitement  among  Tommy's  adherents. 
Perhaps  they  expected  a  violent  assault  upon  their 
works. 

"  Now,  lively,  fellows ! "  I  called  to  my  party,  as 
they  picked  up  the  plank  and  bore  it  to  the  chasm. 

The  end  to  which  I  had  fastened  the  rope  was 
dropped  into  the  abyss,  so  that  it  rested  upon  a 
rock  which  I  had  before  selected.  "With  a  couple 
of  the  hoop-poles  we  pushed  the  upper  end  over 
to  the  other  side  of  the  gully,  where  it  was  to  rest 
as  part  of  the  bridge.  By  the  rope  attached  to  the 
lower  end  we  pulled  it  up,  and  placed  it  on  the 
rock.  The  experiment  was  a  complete  success,  and 
I  was  very  well  pleased  with  my  first  attempt  at 
engineering.     It  was  a  very  simple  experiment,  after 


THE    WAR    OF    THE    STUDENTS.  161 

all ;    and    though   satisfied,   I   was    not    vain    of  the 
result.      ... 

I  was  the  first  to  cross  the  plank ;  but  my  fellows 
all  followed  me.  Taking  six  or  seven  muskets 
apiece,  we  soon  placed  them  on  the  right  side  of 
the  gully,  and  our  work  was  accomplished.  Briscoe's 
forces  were  still  shouting  as  though  their  salvation 
depended  upon  the  amount  of  noise  they  could 
make.  If  there  were  any  night  voyagers  on  the 
lake  in  that  vicinity,  they  must  have  suspected  that 
the  demons  of  this  wild  region  were  engaged  in  an 
hilarious  frolic;  but  I  think  there  was  no  one  within 
hearing  of  our  voices. 

"  I  say,  captain,  we  might  as  well  finish  the  job, 
now  we  are  here,"  said  Langdon,  after  we  had 
stacked  the  arms  by  the  side  of  the  road. 

"How  finish  it?" 

"Wouldn't  it  be  better  to  have  the  bridge  mate- 
rial on  this  side  of  the  gully?"  suggested  the  ser- 
geant. 

"  I  don't  know  that  it  would." 

"We  could  hold  Tommy  and  his  party  as  prison- 
ers then." 

11 


162  SWITCH    OFF,    OR 

"  Possibly  it  would  be  a  good  move ;  but  when 
we  go  over  to-morrow,  we  must  do  it  with  a  rush, 
After   the   balloting   has   begun." 

"We  decided  to  transfer  the  bridge  materials  to 
our  side  of  the  chasm.  Perhaps  it  was  just  as  well, 
so  far  as  Tommy  was  concerned;  for  I  did  not 
believe,  after  I  had  looked  at  the  heavy  timbers 
which  comprised  the  string-pieces,  that  he  had  the 
engineering  skill  to  reconstruct  the  bridge.  We 
completed  our  work  in  a  very  short  time,  and 
without  any  interruption  from  the  valiant  garrison 
which  defended  the  place.  Having  finished  the  job, 
we  placed  the  plank  on  six  sticks,  and  with  one 
boy  at  each -end  of  them,  eonveyed  it  back  to  the 
lake  as  we  had  brought  it  up.  Briscoe's  party  were 
still  demonstrating  under  the  high  cliff  of  the  island. 
Langdon,  who  could  whistle  like  a  locomotive  through 
his  fingers,  made  the  signal  we  had  agreed  upon 
that  our  work  was  finished. 

By  this  time  most  of  us  were  thoroughly  fatigued, 
and  I  felt  that  a  bed  of  pine  furze  in  the  grove 
would  be  as  good  as  a  downy  couch  for  me.  We 
had  worked  off  the  effects  of  the  potations  of  strong 


THE    WAR    OF    THE    STUDENTS.  163 

coffee,  and  some  of  us  were  so  sleepy  that  we  could 
hardly  keep  our  eyes  open.  One  of  the  cooks 
lighted  a  match,  so  that  I  could  see  the  face  of  my 
watch,  and  I  found  that  it  was  almost  midnight. 
But  we  had  to  wait  nearly  an  hour  before  Briscoe's 
fellows  could  work  the  raft  back,  for  it  was  a  cmmsy 
thing  to  handle  in  deep  water.  When  they  came 
in  sight,  they  were  towing  it  with  the  large  boat  in 
which  Hacker  had  conveyed  his  recruits  to  the 
fortress.  Without  it  I  doubt  whether  they  could 
ever  have  brought  the  raft  back  to  its  moorings. 
We  were  too  tired  to  put  the  raft  in  position  as 
we  had  found  it,  and,  making  it  fast  to  the  shore, 
returned   to   our   camp. 

We  were  a  sorry  set  when  we  turned  in  at  about 
one  o'clock  that  night ;  and  if  we  had  taken  a  vote 
on  the  question,  I  think  we  should  have  decided 
unanimously  that  campaigning  after  dark,  and 
especially  after  midnight,  was  anything  but  fun. 
The  weather  was  so  warm  that  we  did  not  need 
fires ;  and,  wrapping  our  blankets  around  us,  we 
lay  down  without  troubling  ourselves  to  post  a 
single   sentinel   to   watch   over   the   camp   while   we 


164  SWITCH    OFF,    OR 

slumbered.  There  was  no  danger  of  an  assault  from 
Tommy's  forces,  for  we  had  them  bottled  up  in  their 
strong  fortress.  Briscoe's  party  had  brought  away 
the  boat  in  which  Sergeant  Hacker  had  made  his 
visit  to  our  camp,  and  there  was  now  no  possible 
way  for  any  of  the  enemy  to  reach  us. 

The  garrison  on  High  Bluff  were  as  much  fatigued 
as  we  were,  and  were  as  little  disposed  to  make  an 
assault  as  we  were  to  repel  one.  I  cannot  speak 
for  others,  except  to  say  that  no  one  disturbed  us; 
and  I  slept  like  a  rock  upon  my  hard  bed.  It  was 
after  eight  in  the  morning  when  I  waked ;  but 
not  a  single  soul  seemed  to  be  stirring.  I  was  in 
no  hurry ;  so  I  turned  over  and  went  to  sleep  again, 
as  all  my  companions  were  still   slumbering. 

"  Hallo,  Skotchley !  " 

I   opened   my    eyes.     It  was   Briscoe. 

"  We   are  sleeping  all  day,"  said  he. 

"  What's  the  oclds  ?  We  have  nothing  to  do  but 
eat  breakfast  until  noon.  We  may  as  well  rest  our- 
selves while  we  have  the    chance." 

"  But  it  is  after  nine  o'clock,"  laughed   he. 

"  I   think   I    have   slept    enough,  then,"    I   replied 


THE    WAR    OF    THE    STUDENTS.  165 

springing  to  my  feet,  well  satisfied  that  no  rheuma- 
tism had  found  a  lurking-place  in  any  of  my  joints. 

Some  of  the  fellows  were  already  up,  and  among 
them  Fryes,  who  was  directed  to  blow  a  blast  on 
his  bugle  to  wake  the  slumberers.  In  a  few  minutes 
we  had  them  all  on  their  feet.  I  went  to  the  rush- 
ing brook,  and  took  an  eye-opener  in  the  shape  of 
a  splendid  wash  in  the  clear,  cold  waters,  which 
made  me  feel  like  a  new  man,  fit  for  the  great 
enterprise  of  the  day.  Frying  bacon  without  a  fry- 
ing-pan was  declared  by  the  cooks  to  be  a  difficult 
achievement ;  but  an  iron  kettle  Avas  a  tolerable 
substitute.  We  boiled  half  a  bushel  of  potatoes, 
and  by  ten  o'clock  we  were  ready  for  our  morning 
meal.  As  an  expedient  for  plates,  Ave  used  smooth, 
flat  stones,  taken  from  a  slate  ledge  a  few  rods  from 
the  camp.     The  breakfast  was  eminently  satisfactory. 

"Where  is  Jed?"  asked  Briscoe,  as  we  rose  from 
the  ground  when  the  repast  was  finished.  "  He 
has  not  come  yet." 

"I   think   he    will  come,"   I  replied. 

"Suppose  he  should  not  come?"  suggested  the 
senior  captain. 


166  SWITCH    OFF,   OR 

"  Then  we  must  get  along  without  him." 

"  I  don't  see  how  we  can." 

"  My  party  took  the  precaution  last  night  to  bring 
the  bridge  materials  over  to  this  side  of  the  gully. 
we  can  put  the  bridge  up  when  we  want  it,  though 
it   will   take    some    time   to   do   the  job." 

Briscoe  laughed  heartily  as  I  explained  to  him  that 
Major  Tommy  and  his  forces  were  actually  prisoners 
on  High  Bluff,  and  would  have  to  stay  there  until 
we  permitted  them  to  leave.  As  we  intended  to 
turn  the  tables  upon  our  gallant  commander-in-chief, 
I  hoped  that  our  precautions  would  not  prove  to 
be  useless.  It  was  possible  that  Jed  might  not  be 
able  to  come,  however  good  his  intentions  might 
be ;  and  I  walked  down  to  the  place  where  we  had 
stored  the  bridge  stuff,  accompanied  by  my  working 
party,  in  order  to  make  preparations  for  crossing  at 
this  point  if  Jed  should  fail  us.  I  simply  fixed 
upon  a  plan  for  doing  the  work ;  and,  after  exami- 
nation, I  was  satisfied  that  the  method  by  which 
we  had  laid  down  the  plank  the  night  before  was  the 
best  one.    1   then  went  with  Briscoe's   party  to  the 


THE    WAR    OF    THE    STUDENTS.  167 

fishing  raft,  where,  in  a  few  moments,  we  put  every- 
thing just  as  we  had   found  it. 

While  we  were  thus  engaged,  Jed  arrived,  and 
we  all  hastened  to  the  camp  to  complete  the  grand 
coup   de  main  of  the   day. 


168  SWITCH    OFF,    OB 


CHAPTER  XVI. 


THE    PINE    TREE    BRIDGE. 


JED  had  arrived  with  his  sharp  axe.  He  had  also 
brought  with  him  a  bill-hook,  to  clear  away  the 
underbrush  on  the  verge  of  the  chasm,  so  that  it  need 
not  impede  our  movements  when  the  decisive  mo- 
ment arrived.  Jed  and  one  of  the  large  fellows 
soon  cut  the  bushes  down,  but  we  did  not  remove 
them.  They  were  piled  up  so  as  to  form  a  screen 
to  hide  the  operations  on  our  side  from  the  view  of 
those  on  the  bluff.  They  were  so  arranged  that  the 
fall  of  the  pine  tree  would  tumble  them  into  the 
abyss,  and  leave  everything  clear,  so  that  we  could 
rush  over  before  the  enemy  could  gather  on  the  other 
side  to  oppose  our  passage. 

The  occupants  of  High  Bluff  did  not  seem  to  be 
in  the  best  of  spirits.  They  had  doubtless  discovered 
the   loss   of  our  share   of   the   muskets,   and   of  the 


THE    WAR    OF    THE    STUDENTS.  169 

bridge  materials.  The  boat  by  which  Hacker  had 
left  the  bluff  was  no  longer  available,  and  they  could 
not  help  understanding  that  they  were  prisoners.  In 
fact  the  tables  were  already  turned.  But  we  were 
confident  that  the  election  would  not  be  neglected. 
If  Major  Tommy  was  convinced  that  his  command 
were  prisoners,  he  was  equally  well  assured  that  our 
party  could  not  disturb  him  without  first  laying  down 
the  bridge.  Probably  he  thought  it  easy  enough  to 
prevent  us  from  putting  the  timbers  across  the  gully, 
as,  indeed,  it  was. 

Jed  was  already  at  work  on  the  pine  tree.  It  was 
exceedingly  important  to  prevent  the  garrison  on  the 
bluff  from  knowing  what  was  going  on  at  this  point ; 
but  the  sound  of  the  woodman's  axe  in  that  locality 
was  not  a  strange  one.  It  need  excite  no  suspicion. 
But  we  saw  several  of  Tommy's  adherents  making  a 
critical  examination  to  ascertain  what  our  party  were 
doing.  The  bushes  effectually  concealed  the  work 
from  their  gaze. 

"  Come,  Skotchley,  we  must  not  take  it  too  easily," 
said   Briscoe.      "  If  those   fellows  should  snuff  what 


170  SWITCH   OFF,    OR 

we  are  doing,  they  might  spoil  everything.  You  must 
make  a  demonstration  where  the  bridge  was." 

"I  intended  to  do  that  at  the  right  time,"  I  replied, 
looking  at  my  watch.  "It  is  about  time  now  —  half 
past  eleven." 

"  You  are  the  engineer,  captain.  What  do  you 
intend  to  do  ?  " 

"I  am  going  to  commence  laying  that  bridge  just 
before  twelve  o'clock.  I  want  about  half  the  fellows. 
The  other  half  will  stand  by  the  tree,  and  go  over  as 
soon  as  it  falls.  When  they  have  crossed,  we  will  all 
rush  up   and  join  you  on  the  other  side." 

"Jed  has  cut  the  tree  more  than  half  through,  and 
a  few  clips  on  the   other  side  will  drop  it." 

"All  right." 

I  took  half  the  force,  and  marched  down  to  the 
road.  Half  a  dozen  sentinels  guarded  the  bluff  on 
the  other  side  at  this  point.  It  was  evident  that 
Tommy  and  Haven  did  not  expect  an  attempt  would 
be  made  to  cross  the  chasm  at  any  other  place.  I  did 
not  wonder  at  their  conclusion,  for  it  seemed  quite 
impracticable  for  a  party  of  boys  to  span  the  arm  of 
the  lake,  where  it  varied  from  thirty  to  a  hundred  feet 


THE    WAE    OF    THE    STUDENTS.  171 

in  width.  Our  entire  force  had  taken  their  muskets, 
and  so  far  we  now  stood  upon  an  equality.  Each 
could  oppose  bayonet  to  bayonet. 

I  halted  my  detail  on  the  verge  of  the  gully  where 
the  bridge  had  been  removed.  As  soon  as  we  ap- 
peared, Haven  marched  his  portion  of  Company  A 
down  to  the  threatened  quarter,  and  halted  on  the 
other  side.  I  was  not  quite  satisfied  with  this  move- 
ment, for  I  wished  Tommy  to  send  his  whole  force  to 
oppose  my  operation.  I  walked  up  to  the  edge  of  the 
chasm,  and  looked  into  it. 

"  What  are  you  goiug  to  do  now  ?  "  shouted  Haven. 

"  You  shall  see  pretty  soon,"  I  replied,  good-na- 
turedly. 

"  Do  you  think  of  coming  over  here  ?  " 

"  Well,  I  had  thought  of  it." 

"  All  right.  The  major  has  informed  you  in  regard 
to  the  terms  upon  which  you  can  return  to  your  duty 
—  a  general  amnesty  to  all  except  commissioned 
officers." 

"  He  is  very  generous." 

"  I  think  that  he  is  fair.     We  are  going  to  have  the 


172  SWITCH    OFF,   OK 

election  over  here  at  twelve  o'clock  precisely,"  con- 
tinued Haven,  in  taunting  tones. 

"I'm  glad  to  hear  it." 

"But  are  you  not  coming  over  to  vote?" 

"Perhaps  we  shall." 

"  I  guess  not  —  unless  you  should  come  under  ar- 
rest," replied  Haven,  glancing  into  the  ravine  which 
yawned  between  us. 

"Probably  we  shall  be  over  to  help  you  vote." 

"I  don't  see  it." 

"You  forget  that  we  have  the  bridge  stuff  on  this 
side." 

"I  should  like  to  see  you  lay  it  down!" 

"Should  you?  I  don't  believe  you  are  quite  sin- 
cere, Haven.  But  we  shall  have  a  bridge  in  season 
to  vote." 

"You  must  be  in  a  hurry,  then." 

"  Then  I  think  I  won't  stop  to  talk  any  longer." 

"  I  think  you  had  better  not  waste  any  more  time, 
if  you  are  coming  over  to  vote.  The  polls  will  be 
closed  at  twenty  minutes  past  twelve." 

"I  suppose  I  can  vote  if  I  go  over." 

"O,  certainly!" 


THE   WAR   OF   THE    STUDENTS.  173 

I  directed  a  dozen  of  my  working  party  to  bring 
one  of  the  string-pieces  of  the  bridge  to  the  chasm. 
We  had  secured  the  ropes  with  which  the  bridge  had 
been  removed,  and  I  deliberately  tied  one  end  of  it  to 
the  timber.  The  party  on  the  other  side  watched  my 
movements  with  intense  interest.  It  was  plain  that 
Haven  was  not  quite  satisfied,  and  by  no  means  as 
confident  as  he  pretended  to  be.  He  knew  that  we 
had  crossed  the  chasm  in  the  night,  and  perhaps  gave 
us  credit  for  more  skill  than  we  actually  possessed.  I 
was  pleased  to  see  him  send  a  messenger  to  the  rear 
of  his  position ;  and,  in  a  few  moments,  the  other  com- 
pany, under  command  of  Barnscott,  marched  down 
to  reenforce  him.  At  the  same  time  Major  Tommy 
appeared  upon  the  ground.  The  little  magnate  con- 
sulted a  few  moments  with  Haven,  and  then  retired. 
He  seemed  to  be  absorbed  in  another  matter,  which 
I  concluded  was  the  balloting  for  officers. 

I  could  hardly  conceal  my  satisfaction  when  I  saw 
that  the  idlers  in  the  vicinity  of  the  pine  tree  had 
all  been  called  away.  Indeed,  there  was  nothing  to 
attract  their  attention  at  this  time,  for  Jed  had  ceased 
chopping  after  he  had  prepared  the  tree  on  one  side. 


174  SWITCH    OFF,   OR 

I  afterwards  ascertained  that  none  of  Tommy's  party 
suspected  the  movement  in  the  direction  where  it  was 
really  in  progress.  It  was  easier  for  them  to  believe 
that  some  farmer  had  come  into  the  woods  to  get  out 
a  stick  of  timber  for  a  special  use  than  that  our  fellows 
intended  to  cross  the  gully  in  any  such  manner. 

I  ordered  my  party  to  drop  one  end  of  the  string- 
piece  into  the  chasm.  I  was  promptly  obeyed.  This 
movement  created  great  excitement  on  the  other  side. 
Haven  rallied  his  force  in  readiness  to  prevent  the 
stick  from  being  landed  on  his  territory. 

"  Out  of  the  way,  on  the  other  side ! "  I  shouted. 
"  If.  this  string-piece  should  hit  you  on  the  head,  it 
might  hurt  you." 

"  Let  it  come ! "  replied  Haven.  "  We  will  take 
care  of  it." 

With  the  aid  of  the  poles,  we  threw  the  upper  end 
of  the  stick  over  to  the  other  side  of  the  chasm. 
The  instant  it  touched  the  edge,  Haven  and  his  men 
tumbled  it  down  into  the  abyss,  precisely  as  I  sup- 
posed he  would  do. 

"  Hurrah !    Hurrah  !    Hurrah  ! "   shouted   the   adhe- 


THE    WAE    OF    THE    STUDENTS.  175 

rents  of  Tommy  Toppleton,  satisfied  that  they  had 
gained  a  decided  victory. 

"Throw  us  another  of  them!"  called  Haven,  de- 
risively. 

"  Don't  cry  yet !  "  I  replied.  "  We  will  have  a 
bridge  over  in  season  to  vote." 

"  Over  with  it.  I  think  we  can  throw  the  timbers 
clown  as  fast  as  you  can  set  them  up." 

"Man  the  rope  here,  fellows!"  I  shouted  to  my 
party.  "Work  as  though  you  were  in  real  earnest! 
Heave  ahead ! " 

Slowly,  and  with  great  difficulty,  the  end  of  the 
timber  was  pulled  out  of  the  chasm,  and  I  prepared 
to  make  a  new  attempt.  All  of  Tommy's  army  was 
in  front  of  me.  The  major  was  very  busy.  I  saw 
him  place  a  tin  kettle  on  a  rock,  and  station  three 
sentinels  before  it.  This,  I  soon  ascertained,  was  the 
ballot-box,  and  the  three  sentinels  were  the  committee 
to  assort,  count,  and  declare  the  vote.  Bowles  was 
one  of  them,  and  this  fact  did  something  to  assure  me 
that  fair  play  would  be  had.  It  was  our  custom  to 
vote   for   each   officer  on  a   separate   ballot;  and,   of 


176  SWITCH    OFF,    OR 

course,  the  first  was  for  major.  Tommy  came  down 
to  the  front,  and  announced  that  the  polls  were 
open. 

"Bring  in  your  ballot  for  major  for  the  ensuing 
year ! "  shouted  Haven,  looking  over  to  our  side,  as 
though  the  remark  was  addressed  to  us.  "  We  can 
vote  and  fight  at  the  same  time." 

"  All  right !  We  are  going  right  over,"  I  replied, 
as  they  tumbled  the  end  of  the  timber  into  the  gully 
a  second  time. 

"The  polls  will  be  closed  if  you  wait  to  lay  this 
bridge,"  retorted  Haven,  in  excellent  humor. 

"You  attend  to  your  voting,  and  we  will  take  care 
of  the  bridge." 

I  again  heard  the  vigorous  blows  of  Jed's  axe,  and 
I  expected  every  moment  to  see  the  pine  tree  fall 
across  the  gulf.  Our  party  were  very  much  excited, 
and  we  worked  at  the  timber  with  the  most  deceptive 
zeal.  We  threw  it  over  upon  the  other  side,  as  we 
had  done  before. 

"  Stand  by  here !  "  shouted  Haven.  "  Tumble  it 
down,  quick!" 

And  down  it  went  into  the  gully.     The  party  on 


THE    WAR    OF    THE    STUDENTS.  177 

the   other   side   gave   three   more  rousing   cheers,   to 
celebrate  the  third  repulse  of  the  stick. 

"  Why  don't  you  throw  up  your  bridge !  "  screamed 
Haven,  almost  beside  himself  with  excitement. 

"  Keep  cool  over  there,"  I  replied,  as  calmly  as  I 
could.     "There  is  no  such  word  as  fail." 

"I  think  there  is  —  three  such  words!  And  there 
will  be  another  when  you  throw  that  timber  over 
again." 

"  Try  again !  That's  our  motto,"  I  answered,  glan- 
cing at  the  top  of  the  tall  pine,  which  was  tottering 
and  ready  to  fall. 

It  shook  a  moment,  and  then  came  down  with  a 
heavy  crash.  Briscoe,  with  his  drawn  sword  in  his 
hand,  was  the  first  to  cross  the  abyss.  He  was  close- 
ly followed  by  the  rest  of  his  party.  Before  Tommy 
and  his  adherents  could  fairly  understand  what  the 
matter  was,  our  senior  captain  had  formed  his  men 
in  line,  and  presented  a  wall  of  bayonets  to  cover  the 
advance  of  my  party. 

"There's  our  bridge!"  I  cried  to  Haven,  as  I  or- 
dered my  men  to  take  their  guns  and  hasten  to  the 
pine  tree. 

12 


178  SWITCH    OFF,   OK 

We  followed  Briscoe's  lead,  and  in  a  few  moments 
our  entire  force  was  on  High  Bluff. 

"Now  give  thern  three  cheers,  Briscoe,  in  answer 
to  theirs,"  I  suggested ;  and  they  were  given  with  a 
zeal  becoming  the  victory  we  had  won. 


THE   WAR   OF   THE    STUDENTS.  179 


CHAPTER  XVII. 


THE   FIRST    BALLOT. 


TOMMY  and  his  forces  on  High  Bluff  seemed  to 
be  paralyzed  by  the  sudden  and  unexpected 
movement  initiated  by  Briscoe,  and  followed  up  by 
my  party.  They  did  not  pay  much  attention  to  vot- 
ing just  then,  though  quite  a  number  of  them  had 
deposited  their  ballots  before  the  falling  of  the  pine 
tree.  We  waited  a  reasonable  time  to  be  assaulted ; 
but  Major  Toppleton  seemed  to  be  too  much  aston- 
ished to  organize  an  attack  upon  the  bold  assailants. 
He  stood  in  front  of  his  men,  consulting  earnestly  with 
Haven. 

"  Why  don't  you  move  on,  and  pitch  into  them  ?  " 
said  Jed,  who  had  come  over  on  the  pine,  with  the 
axe  in  his  hand. 

"We  are  not  going  to  pitch  into  them,"  replied 
Briscoe. 


180  SWITCH   OFF,    OK 

"  We  don't  want  any  of  them  to  escape,"  I  added. 

"  Leave  that  to  me,"  said  Jed.  "  I  will  stand  guard 
here,  while  you  go  up  and  do  your  voting.  I  can 
handle  the  whole  crowd." 

Our  first  business  was  to  deposit  our  votes.  We 
had  already  provided  ourselves  with  ballots. 

"  Music !  "  said  Briscoe  ;  and  Fryes  started  Hail, 
Columbia. 

Breaking  into  column,  we  marched  towards  the  tin 
kettle,  which  constituted  the  ballot-box.  This  move- 
ment ended  the  conference  between  the  two  leaders 
of  the  other  side.  The  major  ordered  his  men  into 
line.  By  this  time  Bowles's  party  had  gathered  around 
the  voting  place,  as  they  had  been  instructed  to  do  by 
him,  in  order  to  defend  the  purity  of  the  election.  It 
was  plain  that  Tommy  did  not  intend  to  do  any  fight- 
ing. It  would  have  been  very  foolish  for  him  to  do 
anything  of  the  kind.  He  marched  his  adherents  up 
to  the  vicinity  of  the  rock  where  the  ballot-box  was 
deposited,  and  halted.  Briscoe  did  the  same.  While 
the  latter  was  preparing  to  send  his  men  up  to  vote, 
in  small  parties,  Haven  appeared  before  us. 

"Major    Toppleton    desires    to    know  what    your 


THE   WAR   OF   THE    STUDENTS.  181 

intentions  are, "  said  the  messenger,  in  a  haughty 
tone,  which,  however,  indicated  more  of  disgust  at 
our  proceedings  than  of  pride  at  his  own. 

"  We  came  over  to  vote,"  replied  Briscoe. 

"I  told  you  we  were  coming  over,  Haven,"  I 
added. 

"  You  told  me,  too,  that  you  were  going  to  lay  that 
bridge ;  but  you  didn't,"  sneered  the  ambassador. 

"  What  bridge  ?  "  I  inquired,  smiling. 

"  The  bridge  down  by  the  road,"  snapped  he. 

"  I  beg  your  pardon." 

"  Didn't  you  say  so  ?  " 

"  Not  at  all ;  I  had  no  more  idea  of  laying  down 
that  bridge  than  I  had  of  drying  up  the  lake." 

"  What  did  you  say  so  for,  then  ?  " 

"  I  think  I  did  not  say  so.  I  simply  told  you  we 
should  have  a  bridge  in  season  to  come  over  and  vote. 
I  believe  the  promise  has  been  kept ;  at  any  rate,  we 
are  here,  and  in  good  time.  I  think  you  said  the  polls 
would  be  closed  at  twenty  minutes  past  twelve." 

"Major  Toppleton  does  not  propose  to  have  the 
election  continued,  under  the  present  circumstances," 
replied  Haven. 


182  SWITCH   OFF,    OR 

"Why  not,  I  should  like  to  inquire?"  interposed 
Briscoe. 

"  He  is  not  going  to  have  the  election  carried  by 
force  of  arms." 

"  There  is  to  be  no  force  of  arms.  All  parties 
can  vote  quietly,  and  the  thing  shall  be  fairly 
done." 

"  But  you  have  come  over  here,  and  taken  posses- 
'  sion." 

"  We  have  taken  possession  of  nothing.  There  is 
the  ballot-box  just  as  Major  Toppleton  placed  it, 
guarded  by  the  committee  whom  he  selected  himself," 
persisted  Briscoe. 

"  The  major  intends  to  postpone  the  election  till  it 
can  be  conducted  fairly,"  added  Haven. 

"  Allow  me  to  suggest  that  it  is  not  in  the  power  of 
the  major  to  postpone  the  election.  It  was  deferred, 
by  vote  of  the  battalion,  to  this  day  and  hour ;  and 
unless  the  battalion  vote  otherwise,  it  must  take  place 
at  the  present  time." 

"  I  will  report  what  you  say  to  him,"  said  Haven, 
who  could  not  conveniently  answer  the  argument  of 
the  senior  captain. 


THE   WAR   OP    THE    STUDENTS.  183 

"  If  Major  Toppleton  desires  to  take  a  vote  on  the 
question  of  postponement,  we  are  quite  willing  to  do 
so,"  added  Briscoe. 

The  messenger  returned  to  the  major;  but,  while 
the  conference  between  them  was  in  progress,  I  took 
care  that  the  voting  should  go  on,  in  order  that  the 
time  might  not  expire  before  our  portion  of  the  bat- 
talion had  deposited  their  ballots.  Tommy's  commit- 
tee stood  around  the  tin  kettle,  and  compelled  each 
voter  to  hold  up  his  ticket,  so  as  to  make  sure  that 
only  one  vote  was  put  in  the  box  by  a  single  person. 
They  retained  their  muskets,  and  were  zealous  in  the 
discharge  of  their  duty.  The  nine  fellows  who  had 
come  over  with  Bowles  stood  behind  the  committee, 
as  their  leader  had  directed  them  to  do,  the  moment 
the  pine  tree  fell,  in  order  to  prevent  the  election  from 
being  suspended,  or  the  ballot-box  carried  away  by 
any  of  Tommy's  adherents. 

As  our  votes  had  been  previously  prepared,  it  re- 
quired but  a  few  moments  for  us  to  drop  them  into  the 
tin  kettle.  Everything  was  done  in  an  entirely  or- 
derly manner,  under  the  supervision  of  the  committee. 
I  could  not  see  the  slightest  chance  for  cheating,  and  I 


184  SWITCH    OFF,    OP. 

did  not  believe  there  was  any  fraud  on  either  side, 
As  our  men  voted,  they  resumed  their  places  on  the 
slope  of  the  hill,  between  the  committee  and  the  pine 
tree  bridge. 

"  Tommy's  fellows  are  fooling  away  the  time,"  said 
Briscoe,  anxiously. 

"  That  is  their  lookout." 

"  Our  fellows  have  all  voted." 

"  Some  of  Tommy's  have  also.  If  a  quorum  of  the 
battalion  have  voted,  the  election  will  be  according  to 
the  bydaws,  and  we  are  all  right." 

"  Go  up  to  Tommy,  and  tell  him,  that,  as  he  does 
not  choose  to  put  the  question  on  postponement,  we 
shall  consider  this  as  an  election,  and  abide  by  the 
result,  whatever  it  may  be." 

I  walked  hastily  to  the  spot  where  Tommy  and 
Haven  were  discussing  the  difficulties  of  the  situation. 
As  I  approached  the  major,  I  drew  my  sword,  and 
respectfully  saluted  him. 

"  I  have  a  message  from  Captain  Briscoe,  senior 
captain,  in  command  of  that  portion  of  the  battalion 
which  was  excluded  from  High  Bluff,"  I  began. 

"I  don't  recognize  Captain  Briscoe  as  in  command 


THE    WAR    OF    THE    STUDENTS.  185 

of  any  portion  of  the  battalion,"  returned  Tommy, 
with  an  effort  to  be  dignified.  "I  have  suspended 
him." 

"Then  I  will  speak  for  myself." 

"I  have  suspended  you,  also." 

"  We  are  both  ready  to  answer  to  any  charges.  I 
believe  we  are  entitled. to  vote,  and  we  have  done  so. 
Our  party  have  all  deposited  their  ballots.  As  you 
have  not  chosen  to  take  the  question  upon  a  postpone- 
ment, we  shall  regard  this  as  the  election,  and  abide 
the  result,  whatever  it  may  be.  This  is  my  message. 
I  have  delivered  it,  and  will  now  retire." 

"  Do  you  think  an  election  held  under  these  circum- 
stances ought  to  be  considered  valid  ? "  demanded 
Tommy. 

"  I  think  the  vote  has  been  fairly  taken,  by  a  com- 
mittee appointed  by  yourself.  Our  party  are  satisfied. 
"We  intend  to  have  the  vote  counted,  and  the  result 
declared." 

"  You  mean  it ! "  exclaimed  the  major,  with  an 
attempt  at  a  sneer,  which  was  only  a  partial  suc- 
cess. 

"  Several  of  your  party  have  not  voted,  though  the 


186  SWITCH   OFF,    OR 

time  fixed  by  you  for  keeping  the  polls  open  has 
expired." 

"  Suppose  we  do  not  choose  to  vote." 

"  That's  your  affair.  A  quorum  has  already  voted, 
and  that  is  enough.  The  moment  the  result  is  de- 
clared, we  shall  place  ourselves  under  the  orders  of 
the  new  major,  whoever  he  may  be." 

I  saluted  the  major  again,  turned,  and  retired. 
We  could, do  nothing  more;  so  Briscoe  and  I  walked 
up  to  the  vicinity  of  the  voting  place.  I  suggested  to 
the  committee  that  it  was  time  to  close  the  polls. 

"All  that  have  not  voted  will  do  so  at  once!" 
shouted  the  chairman  of  the  committee,  loud  enough 
to  be  heard  all  over  the  bluff.  "  Polls  will  close  in  a 
minute." 

"  Are  you  going  to  close  the  polls  before  all  have 
voted  ? "  demanded  Tommy,  rushing  up  to  the  tin 
kettle  with  his  ballot  in  his  hand. 

"  It  was  your  order  that  the  polls  should  be  closed 
at  twenty  minutes  past  twelve,"  replied  the  chair- 
man. 

"  This  election  is  postponed  till  further  orders,"  said 
the  major. 


THE   WAR   OF   THE    STUDENTS.  187 

"  No !  No !  No ! "  yelled  our  party,  who  had 
marched  up    to   the   spot. 

"It  cannot  be  postponed  except  by  vote  of  the 
battalion,"  I  remonstrated. 

"  Then  I  will  take  a  vote.     Those  in  favor —  " 

"  Stop  a  moment,  if  you  please,  Major  Toppleton," 
interposed  Briscoe.  "  There  is  no  motion  before  the 
battalion.  No  question  can  be  put  except  upon  mo- 
tion." 

"  Mr.  Commander,  I  move  that  the  election  be  post- 
poned for  one  week,"  said  Haven,  coming  to  the  assist- 
ance of  his  chief. 

"Those  in  favor  —  " 

"  I  object ! "  shouted  Briscoe. 

"I  don't  care  if  you  do  object,"  replied  Tommy, 
angrily. 

"  The  motion  has  not  been  seconded." 

"  Second  the  motion,"  shouted  one  of  the  major's 
adherents. 

"It  is  moved  and  seconded  that  this  election  be 
postponed  for  one  week,"  continued  Tommy.  "  Those 
in  favor  will  say,  ay." 

"  Ay ! "  cried  all  of  the  major's  party. 


188  SWITCH   OFF,    OR 

"  Those  opposed  will  say,  no." 

"  No  ! "  yelled  the  rebels,  with  a  vim  which  proved 
that  they  understood  the  case  perfectly. 

"  It  is  a  vote ! "   added  Tommy,  triumphantly. 

"  I  doubt  the  vote,"  said  I,  sure  of  the  result,  if  we 
had  fair  play. 

"The  vote  is  doubted." 

"I  call  for  a  division,"  said  Faxon. 

It  had  always  been  our  custom,  when  a  vote  was 
doubted,  to  divide  the  house,  each  side  marching  be- 
tween two  tellers  to  be  counted.  The  major  evidently 
wished  to  escape  this  ceremony,  but  it  was  impossible, 
and  the  division  took  place.  The  conclusion  could 
not  be  escaped ;  and,  either  by  mistake  or  otherwise, 
some  of  Tommy's  party  voted  with  the  rebels,  so  that 
the  result  was  fifty-nine  for  postponing  the  election  to 
ninety-one  against  it.  Tommy  repeated  the  statement 
of  the  vote,  though  it  almost  choked  him.  Without  a 
word,  he  went  up  to  the  kettle,  and  dropped  his  vote 
into  it.  His  example  was  followed  by  all  the  others 
who  had  not  voted. 

The  committee  were  directed  to  count  the  votes. 


THE    WAR    OF    THE    STUDENTS.  189 

They  did  so,  and  handed  the  result  to  the  major,  on  a 
piece  of  paper.     He  read  it,  as  follows :  — 

"  Whole  number  of  votes, 153 

Necessary  to  a  choice, 77 

Thomas  Toppleton, 68 

Robert  Briscoe, 85 

Robert  Briscoe  is  elected  major." 


190  SWITCH   OFF,   OB 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 


THE    SECOND    BALLOT. 


.UR  fellows  could  not  help  giving  three  cheers 
when  the  major  read  the  result  of  the  vote. 
Tommy's  face  was  red  with  rage  and  mortification. 
I  do  not  know  whether  he  expected,  or  even  feared, 
the  election  of  another  in  his  place;  but  I  do  know 
that  his  tyrannical,  and  his  supercilious  behavior  to- 
wards his  equals  had  received  its  just  reward.  After 
the  cheering  had  ceased,  all  parties  looked  to  the 
major  to  ascertain  how  he  bore  his  defeat. 

By  this  time  Haven  rushed  to  his  assistance,  with 
words  of  consolation,  if  not  of  hope.  He  had  made 
a  discovery,  which,  in  the  excitement  of  the  scene, 
had  escaped  the  notice  of  most  of  us.  He  spoke  with 
Tommy,  took  the  paper  from  which  the  major  had 
read  the  result  of  the  vote,  and,  after  examining  it 
for  a  moment,  spoke  a  few  earnest  words  to  his  su- 
perior, whose  face  suddenly  brightened. 


THE    WAR   OF   THE    STUDENTS.  191 

"Officers  and  soldiers,"  the  major  began,  after  he 
had  glanced  at  the  paper  again,  "it  was  plain  enough 
to  me  from  the  beginning  that  no  fair  election  could 
be  had  in  the  midst  of  tins  excitement." 

"It  would  have  been  fair  enough  if  you  had  been 
elected,"  growled  a  fellow  in  our  ranks. 

"It  is  not  fair,  whoever  is  elected;  and  I,  for  one, 
will  not  submit  to  it." 

"The  vote  has  been  declared,  and  Briscoe  is  major!" 
shouted  Bowles,  who  regarded  himself  as  in  some 
sense  the  guardian  of  the  purity  of  the  election. 

"There  was  cheating  in  the  election,  and  I  object 
to  the  result,"  said  Haven.  "  There  are  but  one  hun- 
dred and  fifty  in  the  battalion,  and  one  hundred  and 
fifty-three  votes  were  cast." 

"Very  likely  there  was  other  cheating,"  suggested 
Tommy,  who  perhaps  really  believed  that  he  had 
been  defeated  by  fraud. 

"  Let's  have  it  over  again,"  said  Lennox,  the  first 
lieutenant  of  Company  B. 

"  Mr.  Commander  ! "  called  Faxon. 

"  Lieutenant  Faxon,"  replied  the  major. 

"I  move  that  we  proceed  to  a  new  election  for 
major." 


192  SWITCH   OFF,    OR 

"  Second  the  motion ! "  promptly  added  Lennox. 

"  It  is  moved  and  seconded  that  we  proceed  to  a 
new  election,"  said  Tommy.  "  Are  you  ready  for  the 
question  ?  " 

Haven  proceeded  to  make  a  speech,  in  which  he 
attempted  to  show  why  it  would  be  better  to  defer 
the  election.  Faxon,  who  was  a  ready  debater,  con- 
troverted the  argument.  Several  spoke  on  each  side ; 
but  finally  the  question  was  put,  doubted,  a  count 
taken,  and  the  postponement  refused  by  "  a  strict 
party  vote,"  which  indicated  a  majority  of  twenty 
for  the  o]3position.  Again  Tommy  consulted  Haven 
and  several  of  his  principal  supporters.  It  must  have 
been  evident  to  him  that  he  could  not  be  elected. 

"  Officers  and  soldiers,"  said  he,  when  we  had  waited 
until  our  patience  was  nearly  exhausted,  "  I  had  hoped 
that  you  would  consent  to  defer  this  election  for  a 
few  days.  It  was  my  intention,  if  I  had  been  elected, 
to  resign  in  a  short  time." 

"  What  a  fib ! "  growled  one  of  our  men. 

"We  have  accepted  an  invitation  to  drill  with  the 
Wimpletonians  for  a  prize.  We  are  in  no  condition 
to  do  so  now,  with  the  battalion  in  a  state  of  mutiny. 


THE    WAR    OF    THE    STUDENTS.  193 

If  you  will  postpone  the  election  till  next  Monday, 
I  will  say  that  I  shall  not  be  a  candidate." 

"  No  !  No !  "  shouted  our  fellows. 

"Mr.  Commander,  I  rise  to  a  point  of  order,"  said 
Lennox. 

"  State  your  point,"  replied  Tommy. 

"  Whether,  the  battalion  having  voted  to  proceed 
with  the  election  of  major,  any  other  business  is  in 
order." 

"I  made  a  proposition  to  the  battalion  to  defer 
the  election,"  answered  Tommy,  a  little  ruffled. 

"We  have  just  voted  not  to  postpone,"  added  one 
of  our  party. 

"  And  we  have  just  voted  to  have  the  election 
now,"  said  another. 

"Mr.  Commander,  I  move  that  the  roster  be  used 
as  a  check  list  to  insure  fair  play,"  continued  Faxon. 

"  Second  the  motion." 

The  motion  was  put  to  vote  and  carried. 

"Mr.  Commander,  I  move  that  Lieutenants  Haven 
and  Faxon,  and  Sergeants  Hacker  and  Langdon,  be 
a  committee  to  check  the  names,  and  to  receive,  sort, 
and  count  the  votes,"  said  Lennox. 
13 


194  SWITCH    OFF,    OR 

"  Second  the  motion,"  added  Bowles. 

"  It  is  customary  for  the  commander  to  appoint 
committees,"  interposed  Barnscott. 

"  The  rules  say,  '  unless  otherwise  ordered,' "  replied 
Lennox.     "  I  believe  my  motion  is  in  order." 

"It  seems  to  me  this  is  a  very  fair  thing,  two  on 
each  side  to  check  the  names  and  superintend  the 
voting,"  said  Corporal  Dunbold. 

"  The  motion  is  not  in  order,"  replied  the  major. 
"  The  chair  has  always  appointed  committees  of  this 
kind." 

"  I  appeal  from  the  decision  of  the  chair,"  promptly 
returned  Lennox. 

"An  appeal  from  the  ruling  of  the  chair  is  taken," 
continued  Tommy,  vexed  to  find  himself  trammelled 
by  the  parliamentary  usage,  to  which  he  had  always 
been  a  fanatical  adherent.  "Are  you  ready  for  the 
question?" 

"  Question ! " 

"  The  question  is,  Shall  the  ruling  of  the  chair  stand 
as  the  sense  of  the  battalion  ?  Those  in  favor  of 
sustaining  the  ruling  of  the  chair  will  say,  ay." 

"Ay!" 


THE   WAK   OF   THE    STUDENTS.  195 

"  Those  opposed,  no." 

"No!" 

"The  ayes  have  it,  and  the  ruling  of  the  chair  is 
sustained." 

"I  doubt  the  vote,"  said  Faxon. 

The  battalion  was  divided,  and  the  question  was 
decided  against  the  chair  by  the  opposition  majority 
of  twenty.  Tommy  bit  his  lips ;  but  as,  according  to 
the  "sense  of  the  battalion,"  the  motion  of  Lennox 
was  in  order,  he  was  obliged  to  put  it  to  vote.  Of 
course  it  was  carried  by  the  usual  majority.  The  com- 
mittee were  directed  to  take  their  stations  by  the  tin 
kettle  on  the  rock.  The  roster  was  brought  out,  and 
Faxon  and  Haven  appointed  to  check  the  names, 
while  the  other  members  of  the  committee  were  to 
watch  the  voting.  Fair  play  having  been  thus  in- 
sured, the  -voting  commenced.  As  there  no  longer 
appeared  to  be  any  danger  of  a  collision  between  the 
two  parties,  our  forces  broke  ranks.  Then  commenced 
the  most  tremendous  "lobbying"  and  "log-rolling" 
that  ever  had  been  known  in  any  of  our  deliberative 
bodies. 

Tommy  did   not  give  up  the  battle.     He  and  his 


196  SWITCH    OFF,    OR 

toadies  coaxed,  teased,  threatened,  and  persuaded. 
Places  on  the  Lake  Shore  Railroad  and  places  in  the 
battalion  were  offered  to  our  fellows ;  but  all  of  them 
were  shrewd  enough  to  see  that  the  major's  party- 
was  not  the  winning  one.  On  the  other  hand,  the 
votes  already  taken  indicated  that  Briscoe  was  cer- 
tain to  be  elected  by  a  handsome  majority.  Boys, 
like  men  and  rats,  are  ready  to  desert  a  sinking  ship. 
The  "lobbying"  was  not  all  on  one  side.  In  half 
an  hour  every  name  on  the  list  was  checked.  The 
committee  proceeded  to  count  the  votes. 

The  most  intense  excitement  reigned  on  the  bluff. 
Groups  of  officers  and  privates  engaged  in  earnest 
discussion;  and,  passing  near  Tommy  Toppleton,  I 
was  not  a  little  surprised  to  hear  him  say  that  he 
expected  to  be  successful.  I  concluded  that  he  had 
lost  his  senses,  or  was  merely  keeping  up  appearances 
for  a  few  moments  longer.  Perhaps  he  expected 
Haven,  who  was  chairman  of  the  committee,  to  change 
the  current  in  his  favor,  or  at  least  to  discover  some 
irregularity  in  the  proceedings  which  would  justify  a 
postponement. 

"  The  committee  are  ready  to  report,"  said  one  of 


THE    WAR    OF    THE    STUDENTS.  197 

the  privates;  and  the  word  passed  through  the  camp, 
bringing  all  discussions  to  a  sudden  conclusion. 

"  Mr.  Commander,"  said  Haven,  approaching  the 
major  with  a  paper  in  his  hand. 

"  Lieutenant  Haven,"  replied  Tommy. 

"  The  committee  appointed  to  sort  and  count  the 
votes  have  attended  to  that  duty,  and  respectfully 
report :  Whole  number  of  votes,  one  hundred  and 
fifty.  Necessary  to  a  choice,  seventy-six.  Thomas 
Toppleton  has  fifty-eight;  Robert  Briscoe  ninety-two, 
and  is  elected." 

The  Briscoeites  repeated  the  cheers  they  had  given 
before,  but  with  even  more  energy  than  on  the  former 
occasion.  The  result  showed  a  gain  of  seven  votes, 
and  the  cheering  indicated  a  still  larger  reenforce- 
ment  of  the  opposition  from  the  other  side.  Again 
every  eye  was  turned  to  Tommy,  to  ascertain  whether 
he  intended  to  submit  to  the  will  of  the  majority. 
Most  of  us  expected  something  in  the  shape  of  a  pro- 
test from  Haven ;  but  he  performed  his  duty  without 
comment  of  any  kind.  When  the  chairman  of  the 
committee  reported,  I  was  quite  near  the  major,  for 
I  had  no  idea  that  we  had  reached  the  conclusion 
of  the  whole  matter. 


198  SWITCH   OFF,   OR 

"  What  does  this  mean,  Haven  ? "  demanded  Tom- 
my, in  a  low  tone,  when  the  report  had  been    read. 

"I  could,, only  declare  the  vote  as  it  was,"  pleaded 
Haven. 

"  But  there  is  something  wrong,"  protested  Tommy. 

"  I  could  not  find  anything ; "  and  Haven  shook  his 
head,  to  indicate  that  he  had  done  his  best  for  his 
friend,  but  had  failed  to  find  a  flaw  in  the  proceed- 
ings. 

"  What  shall  I  do  ? "  asked  Tommy,  sorely  vexed 
at  the  situation. 

"I  don't  know,"  answered  Haven,  blankly. 

"I  don't  believe  it  is  a  ftiir  thing.  I  don't  under- 
stand it." 

"  Neither  do  I ;  but  I  don't  see  any  way  to  get 
round  it." 

Tommy  had  been  such  a  devoted  adherent  to  par- 
liamentary strictness,  that  he  felt  obliged  to  read  the 
report  of  the  committee,  as  it  was  given  to  him. 
Although  it  almost  choked  him  to  do  so,  he  declared 
that  Briscoe  was  elected  major. 

"  I  wish  to  add,"  he  continued,  with  much  embar- 
rassment,  "  that   I   think   there   is   something  wrong 


THE   WAR   OF    THE    STUDENTS.  199 

somewhere.  I  submit  to  the  change  only  under 
protest." 

"  What  is  the  matter  ? "  demanded  some  one  in 
the  crowd. 

"I  have  tried  to  do  everything  for  the  good  of 
the  battalion,  and  I  don't  know  of  any  reason  why 
I  should  be  treated  in  this  manner.  An  officer  under 
suspension  for  disobedience  of  orders  is  elected  in  my 
place.  This  does  not  look  right  to  me,  and  I  don't 
think  your  action  will  stand  long." 

"  Briscoe !  Briscoe  ! "  shouted  the  boys,  not  pleased 
with  Tommy's  threat  to  have  the  election  set  aside. 

In  answer  to  the  call,  the  new  major  mounted  a 
rock,  and,  after  he  had  been  warmly  applauded,  made 
a  short  speech,  thanking  the  battalion  for  the  honor 
it  had  done  him,  and  promising  to  discharge  the 
duties  of  the  office  to  which  he  had  been  elected  to 
the  best  of  his  ability.  "We  were  then  dismissed  for 
dinner. 


200  SWITCH    OFF,   OK 


CHAPTER  XIX. 


HEALING    THE    BREACH. 


JED,  who  had  patiently  kept  guard  at  the  pine 
tree  bridge  during  all  these  exciting  events, 
thought  it  was  about  time  for  him  to  be  relieved 
when  he  saw  us  preparing  for  dinner.  I  went  down 
to  see  him,  paid  him  two  dollars  for  his  day's  work, 
and  invited  him  to  dine  with  us.  As  the  other  offi- 
cers were  yet  to  be  elected,  I  had  no  fear  that  any 
portion  of  the  battalion  —  unless  it  was  Tommy  Top- 
pleton  —  would  think  of  such  a  thing  as  abandoning 
the  field.  The  provisions  brought  from  the  Institute 
were  already  cooked,  so  that  dinner  was  soon  ready, 
and  was  quickly  disposed  of. 

Tommy  Toppleton  was  moody  and  sullen.  If  any 
one  spoke  to  him,  he  answered  only  in  monosyllables. 
He  appeared  to  be  considering  the  situation,  and 
making  up  his  mind  what  to  do.     No   one   believed 


THE   WAR   0E   THE    STUDENTS.  201 

that  he  ever  had  any  intention  of  resigning  if  elected, 
or  of  declining  the  nomination  if  the  election  was 
postponed.  I  do  not  think  that,  even  with  the  assist- 
ance of  1iis  father  and  the  professors,  he  could  have 
secured  votes  enough  to  elect  hirn.  The  majority  of 
us  were  so  thoroughly  disgusted  with  his  tyranny,  that 
We  would  have  broken  up  the  battalion  rather  than 
voted  for  him.  We  had  accomplished  what  we  had 
been  laboring  for  over  a  year. 

After  dinner,  in  order  to  afford  time  for  the  stu- 
dents to  prepare  for  the  election  of  the  rest  of  the 
officers,  —  for  there  were  still  some  difficult  points  to 
be  settled,  —  the  voting  was  postponed  for  an  hour. 
In  the  mean  time,  I  took  my  working  party,  and  laid 
clown  the  bridge  across  the  chasm  near  the  road. 
Everything  was  thus  restored  to  its  former  condition ; 
and,  so  far  as  any  mischief  was  concerned,  no  one 
would  have  known  that  High  Bluff  had  been  the 
camp  of  a  turbulent  battalion. 

"  Skotchley,  I'm  not  sure  but  the  worst  part  of  the 
business  is  yet  to  come,"  said  Mnjor  Briscoe,  as  he 
seated  himself  by  my  side  on  a  rock,  where  I  was 
resting  after  the  fatigue  of  rebuilding  the  bridge. 


202  SWITCH    OFF,   OR 

"Why,  what's  the  matter?"  I  inquired,  though  I 
knew  that  it  would  be  no  easy  thing  to  reconstruct 
the  battalion. 

"  Our  fellows  want  to  elect  to  the  offices  only  those 
who  have  been  on  our  side.  If  they  do  so,  the  bat- 
talion will  still  be  in  two  pieces,  when  we  want  to 
unite  them." 

"  I  was  afraid  of  that." 

"  It  won't  do.  The  other  side  say,  if  they  are  left 
out  in  the  cold,  they  shall  form  a  new  company,  and 
go  off  on  their  own  hook." 

"  I  suppose  they  had  just  as  much  right  to  go  in 
for  Tommy  as  we  had  to  go  in  for  you,"  I  suggested. 

"  I  want  to  give  them  all  fair  play,"  said  Briscoe, 
warmly. 

"Good!     So  do  I." 

"  What  can  we  do  with  Tommy  ? " 

"  I  don't  know.  He  is  as  savage  as  a  meat-axe. 
There  he  sits  on  a  rock,  all  by  himself.  I  suppose  he 
is  brooding  vengeance." 

"  We  can  be  fair  with  him,  and  I'm  in  favor  of 
being  so.  I  suppose  you  are  entitled  to  the  second 
office,  Skotchley." 


THE    WAR    OF    THE    STUDENTS.  203 

"  Never  mind  me.  I  don't  care  a  fig  for  any 
office." 

"I  know  you  don't;  but  the  fellows  care  for  you. 
I  was  thinking  that,  if  Tommy  was  willing,  we  might 
make  him  senior  captain." 

"  Offer  the  place  to  him,  by  all  means." 

"  You  are  generous,  Skotchley.  Of  course  you  can 
do  as  you  please  about  stepping  aside  for  him." 

"  Upon  my  word,  Briscoe,  I  would  rather  not  be  in 
the  line  of  promotion." 

"  Don't  talk  about  that.  I  don't  think  Tommy  will 
take  the  place,  but  I  would  like  to  offer  it  to 
him." 

"  Do  so,  by  all  means." 

"  Will  you  and  Faxon  see  him  ? " 

"  I  will,  for  one." 

Faxon  was  called,  and  he  consented  to  accompany 
me  on  my  mission  to  the  late  major.  It  was  plain 
enough  that  he  had  not  yet  made  up  his  mind  what 
to  do. 

"  I'm  sorry  you  don't  feel  right  about  what  has 
happened  to-day,"  I  began,  as  we  halted  before  the 
little  magnate. 


204  SWITCH    OFF,    OB 

"I  feel  right  enough,"  replied  he,  looking  up,  and 
trying  to  smile.  "  But  I  don't  think  the  fellows  will 
make  anything  by  what  they  have  done." 

"  Something  has  been  said  about  electing  you 
senior  captain." 

"  Senior  captain  !  "  sneered  Tommy.  "  Do  you 
think  I  would  take  a  lower  place  than  the  one  I 
have  filled?" 

"  If  you  will  take  it,  or  any  other  place,  we  will 
do  what  we  can  to  elect  you." 

"I  don't  want  any  place.  I  don't  think  I  shall 
belong  to  the  battalion  any  longer.  The  fellows  have 
been  mean  to  me,  after  all  I  have  done  for  them. 
You  and  Briscoe  stirred  this  thing  up,  Skotchley,"  he 
added,  bitterly. 

"  I  did  what  I  thought  was  right." 

"  Did  you  think  it  was  right  to  tip  me  out  ? " 

"  I  did,"  I  replied,  firmly. 

"  That's  the  way  my  friends  treat  me  —  or  those 
who  ought  to  be  my  friends." 

"  The  friendship  can't  be  all  on  one  side.  To  be 
candid,  you  have  not  treated  the  fellows  well." 

"What  have  I  done?" 


THE    WAK    OF    THE    STUDENTS.  205 

"  You  have  been  tyrannical  and  overbearing.  You 
have  tried  to  make  your  will  law,  without  caring  what 
others  wanted." 

"  Humph  !  You  learned  that  of  Wolf  Penni- 
man." 

"  I  don't  want  to  say  anything  unpleasant  now,"  I 
added.  "  If  I  can  do  anything  for  you,  I  am  willing 
to  do  it." 

"You  can't  do  anything  for  me." 

"  I  only  wanted  to  say  that  I  had  no  ill  feelings 
towards  you ;  and  I  don't  think  the  rest  of  the  fel- 
lows have." 

"  I  should  think  they  had.  All  that  has  been  done 
to-day  will  be  set  aside  as  soon  as  you  return  to  Mid- 
dleport.  Do  you  think  my  father  will  let  me  be 
insulted  in  this  manner  ?  " 

"  The  fellows  had  a  right  to  vote  as  they  pleased," 
suggested  Faxon. 

"  Of  course  they  had;  and  they  may  take  the  con-' 
sequences." 

"  Then  there  is  no  place  in  the  battalion  that  you 
would  like." 

«  No ! " 


206  SWITCH   OFF,   OB 

Tommy's  case  was  settled,  and  I  reported  the  result 
to  Briscoe. 

"  I  suppose  Tommy's  father  will  be  mad  when  he 
learns  what  has  happened ;  but  we  must  take  our 
chances,"  replied  the  major.  "  Tommy  was  in  the 
wrong,  and  we  have  switched  him  off.  Whenever  he 
will  make  a  good  fellow  of  himself,  I  shall  be  happy 
to  resign  my  office  in  his  favor." 

Briscoe  and  myself  then  discussed  the  candidates 
for  the  other  offices.  Both  of  us  desired  to  divide 
them  fairly  among  the  two  parties,  so  as  to  heal  all 
differences,  and  make  the  battalion  a  unit  in  senti- 
ment. 

"  There's  a  difficulty  in  the  way,"  said  Briscoe. 
"  We  have  two  first  lieutenants  —  Faxon  and  Haven. 
If  we  make  Faxon  captain  of  Company  B,  it  will 
jump  him  over  Haven,  who  is  his  senior.  If  we  make 
Haven  the  captain,  it  will  be  treating  one  of  our  own 
fellows  shabbily." 

"  Let  me  solve  the  difficulty  for  you.  Make  them 
both  captains,  and  let  me  be  the  quartermaster,"  I 
interposed. 

"  O,  no  !  " 


THE    WAE   OF   THE    STUDENTS.  207 

"  I  insist,"  I  added.  "  The  place  will  suit  me 
best." 

"But  the  fellows  won't  consent." 

"I  will  see  to  that." 

After  a  long  talk,  I  persuaded  the  major  to  let  me 
have  my  own  way.  I  preferred  the  position  of 
quartermaster,  for  I  had  no  military  aspirations.  It 
was  agreed  that  we  would  run  Haven  for  senior 
captain,  and  Faxon  for  junior.  This  was  even  mag- 
nanimous on  the  part  of  our  side.  We  agreed  upon 
Lennox  and  Bowles  for  first,  and  Hacker  and  Cramp- 
ton  for  second  lieutenants.  Barnscott  was  set  aside, 
for  he  had  in  turn  sold  out  both  sides,  and  neither 
party  had  any  confidence  in  him.  He  was  anxious 
to  be  a  captain,  and  had  trimmed  his  course  to  ac- 
complish his  end ;  and,  like  others  who  are  true  to 
nothing,  he  failed  in  everything. 

We  wrote  tickets  with  these  nominations  upon 
them.  They  were  readily  accepted,  and  I  was  pleased 
to  see  that  the  Tommyites  were  entirely  satisfied. 
The  polls  were  opened  again,  and  the  ticket  was  in- 
dorsed by  a  large  majority.  Barnscott  protested, 
engineered,  log-rolled,  and    lobbied;  but  he  failed  to 


208  SWITCH    OFF,    OR 

defeat  the  arrangement.  As  soon  as  *the  voting  was 
finished,  the  battalion  was  formed  in  line.  The 
shoulder-straps  were  exchanged  to  suit  the  new  rank 
of  the  several  officers.  Tommy  still  sat  on  the  rock, 
watching  the  proceedings.  As  I  passed  near  him,  he 
beckoned  to  me,  and  requested  me  to  deliver  his 
shoulder-straps  to  Briscoe,  which  I  did.  So  far  as  I 
could  see,  every  one  was  satisfied  except  Barnscott, 
who  had  been  appointed  sergeant-major.  He  accepted 
the  position,  but  with  very  ill  grace. 

The  major  then  made  a  little  speech  to  the  bat- 
talion in  regard  to  the  prize  drill.  His  remarks  were 
received  with  applause ;  and,  when  he  directed  the 
companies  to  separate,  for  the  purpose  of  practising 
the  manual,  I  was  pleased  to  see  that  an  excellent 
spirit  prevailed  throughout  the  corps.  As  I  had  no 
duties  to  perform  in  connection  with  the  drill,  I  went 
over  to  our  camp  on  the  other  side  of  the  gully,  to 
look  after  the  stores  there.  While  I  was  gathering 
them  together  in  readiness  to  be  loaded  upon  the 
wagons,  I  saw  Tommy  walk  up  the  road.  He  did 
not  seem  to  be  going  anywhere,  for  he  had  not  taken 
his  pony.     He  was  apparently  still  brooding  over  his 


THE   "WAR   OP    THE    STUDENTS.  209 

imaginary  wrongs,  and  I  wondered  that  he  did  not 
ride  back  to  Middleport  to  report  the  wickedness 
of  the  battalion  to  his  father. 

While  I  was  gathering  up  the  stores,  Jed  came 
over  on  the  log  of  the  pine  tree.  He  had  wit- 
nessed the  deposition  of  his  enemy,  and  he  appeared 
to  be  satisfied  with  the  result.  He  remarked,  good- 
naturedly,  that  we  had  "fixed  that  Toppleton  boy," 
and  he  hoped  it  would  be  a  good  lesson  for  him. 
If  there  was  nothing  more  he  could  do  for  us,  he 
would  go  home,  though  he  had  done  a  good  day's 
work,  and  made  more  than  he  could  by  staying  at 
the  farm. 

Unhitching  the  old  mare,  he  started  for  home. 
I  heard  his  wagon  rattling  along  the  road  for  a 
few  minutes,  and  then  forgot  all  about  him.  I 
finished  my  work,  and  was  about  to  return  to  the 
bluff"  by  the  way  of  the  pine  tree,  when  I  was  startled 
by  a  loud  cry  at  some  distance  from  me,  down  the 
road. 

I  paused  and  listened  again.  The  cry  was 
repeated,  and  I  recognized  the  voice  as  that  of 
Tommy  Toppleton.  The  explanation  was  clear 
14 


210  SWITCH   OFF,   OE 

enough  to  me  in  an  instant.  The  little  magnate 
had  encountered  Jed  on  the  road,  and  the  latter 
was  punishing  him  for  his  conduct  on  the  pre- 
ceding day.  Certainly  Tommy  was  faring  hard, 
and  misfortunes  did  not  come  singly  to  him. 


THE   WAR   OE    THE    STUDENTS.  211 


CHAPTER  XX. 

TOMMY    TOPPLETON    IN   TROUBLE. 

COULD  hardly  regard  Tommy  Toppleton  as  a 
friend  of  mine.  Indeed,  since  the  occurrences 
of  the  preceding  year  on  the  Horse  Shoe,  he  had 
set  himself  up  as  my  enemy.  If  he  particularly  hated 
any  one  student  in  the  Institute,  I  was  that  one.  The 
fact  that  his  father  and  mine  had  been  strong  friends 
for  many  years  did  not  help  the  matter  at  all.  On 
the  contrary,  it  made  it  rather  worse ;  for  the  father 
extended  to  me  some  consideration  on  account  of  my 
parents,  which   the  son  resented. 

More  than  once  the  little  major  had  aimed  the 
shafts  of  his  malice  at  me ;  but,  though  I  resented 
his  open  insults,  I  never  hated  him,  and  never 
attempted  anything  like  revenge  for  the  injuries  he 
inflicted  upon  me.  When  I  heard  him  cry  for  help, 
I  was  as  willing   to   assist    him  as    though    he    had 


212  SWITCH   OFF,    OR 

been  my  best  friend.  Wolf  and  I  had  often  talked 
about  Tommy,  and  I  think  I  had  learned  from  him 
something  of  that  spirit  of  true  Christianity  which 
inspires  one  to  love  his  enemies. 

The  story  of  Wolf's  conduct  when  Waddie  Wim- 
pleton  was  captured  and  thieatened  with  a  coat  of 
tar  and  feathers  by  his  enemies,  had  been  faithfully 
circulated  on  both  sides  of  the  lake.  Some  of  the 
fellows  thought  Wolf  was  a  "  spoony  "  on  that  event- 
ful occasion  ;  but,  for  my  part,  I  regarded  his  behavior 
with  intense  admiration.  To  forgive  and  help  an 
enemy  —  one's  bitterest  enemy — seemed  to  me  to 
be  a  sublime  thing,  and  I  hoped  I  should  have  the 
grace  and  the  courage  to  do  likewise  under  the  same 
circumstances.  Acting  from  this  inspiration,  there- 
fore, I  was  eager  to  do  what  I  could  for  Tommy 
when  I  heard  his  outcry. 

The  sound  came  from  some  distance  down  the 
road,  and  it  w\is  evident  to  me  that  I  could  not 
reach  the  spot  in  season  to  do  any  good.  But  this 
thought  did  not  prevent  me  from  making  the  at- 
tempt, and  I  ran  with  all  the  speed  I  could  command 
till  I  reached  the  summit  of  a  hill,  which  afforded  me 


THE    WAR    OF    THE    STUDENTS.  213 

a  view  of  the  road  for  a  quarter  of  a  mile.  At  the 
foot  of  the  declivity  I  saw  the  wagon.  Behind  it 
were  Tommy  and  Jed.  The  stout  farmer  held  the 
little  magnate  by  the  collar.  There  had  evidently 
been  a  struggle,  from  which  both  appeared  to  be 
resting  for  a  moment. 

"  Let  him  alone ! "  I  shouted,  at  the  top  of  my 
lungs,  as  I  hastened  forward  towards  the  scene  of 
action. 

Jed  held  his  prisoner  fast,  but  did  not  appear  to  be 
disposed  to  proceed  to  extreme  measures  at  once.  I 
concluded  that  Tommy,  seeing  that  help  was  at 
hand,  ceased  his  struggles  to  escape.  At  any  rate, 
I  arrived  upon  the  ground  before  the  conflict  was 
resumed. 

"Come,  Jed,  let  him  alone,"  said  I,  as  soon  as  I 
could  speak  after  the  violent  exertion  I  had  made. 

"  I  guess  not !  "  replied  Jed.  "  Not  if  I  know  my- 
self; and  I  think  I  do." 

"Pitch  into  him,  Ned,"  pleaded  Tommy. 

"I  have  no  quarrel  with  you,  cap'n,"  added  Jed. 
"But  I'm  going  to  take  this  Toppleton  boy  home 
with  me,  and  teach  him  better  manners." 


214  SWITCH    OFF,   OK 

"  No,  you're  not !  "  snapped  Tommy. 

"You  say  not;  but  I  say  I  am." 

"  Come,  Jed,  don't  be  foolish.  You  won't  make 
anything  by  such  a  course  as  that.  Let  him  go,  and 
I  will  see  that  everything  comes  out  right,"  I  pleaded. 

"  See  here,  cap'n  ;  you  don't  understand  this  case. 
When  I  came  up  to  this  Toppleton  boy,  I  asked  him 
a  civil  question,  and  he  sauced  me." 

"  'Twasn't  a  civil  question,"  snarled  Tommy. 

"I  asked  you  if  you  were  ready  to  pay  for  the 
damage  you  had  done  to  our  place.  Wasn't  that 
a  civil  question?" 

"No,  it  wasn't." 

"  Yes,  it  was.  Then  I  told  him  not  to  give  me 
any  of  his  impudence,  and  he  picked  up  a  rock,  and 
was  going  to  heave  it  at  me,  when  I  jumped  out 
of  the  wagon  and  lit  on  him,"  continued  Jed,  turn- 
ing to  me. 

"  I  think  you  had  better  let  him  go,  Jed,"  I  added. 

"  If  I  do,  he'll  heave  rocks  at  me." 

"No,  he  won't." 

"  Perhaps  I  will,"  interposed  the  impracticable  little 
magnate. 


J 

-  b* 


THE    WAR   OF   THE    STUDENTS.  215 

"There,  do  you  hear  that?" 

"That's  only  talk,"  I  explained. 

"  Let   me   alone ! "    shouted   Tommy,   beginning   a 
desperate  struggle  for  his  liberty. 

"  Let  him  go ! "  I   interposed,  taking  Jed   by   the 
arm ;  for  I  was  afraid  the  stout  fellow  would  inflict 
some  serious  injury  upon  his  puny  victim. 
I   "I'll   let   him  go,"   replied   Jed,  shaking  the   little 
major  as  a  terrier  shakes  a  rat. 

"  Let  him  alone  ! "  I  repeated,  earnestly,  as  I  en- 
deavored to  stay  the  arm  of  the  stalwart  farmer. 
:  Jed  evidently  began  to  regard  me  as  an  ally  of 
his  victim,  and  in  his  zeal  he  struck  me  a  severe 
blow  upon  the  head,  which  sent  me  reeling  into  the 
bushes  by  the  side  of  the  road.  My  senses  were 
somewhat  confused;  but  my  ire  was  roused  by  the 
ungenerous  blow.  I  looked  about  me  for  a  club; 
but,  before  I  could  find  one,  I  saw  Jed,  whose  right 
hand  was  fastened  upon  the  back  of  Tommy's  collar, 
seize  him  by  the  trousers  with  the  left  hand.  Lifting 
his  victim  clean  from  the  ground,  he  tossed  him 
over  the  end-board  into  the  wagon,  as  easily  as  though 
he  had  been  a  spring  lamb. 


216  SWITCH    OFF,    OR 

I  could  not  find  any  club,  and  perhaps  it  was 
more  fortunate  for  me  than  for  Jed  that  I  could  not ; 
for  he  seemed  to  regard  me  as  an  enemy,  and  was 
disposed  to  treat  me  as  such.  I  picked  myself  up, 
and  tried  to  collect  my  scattered  senses.  I  had 
already  come  to  the  conclusion  that  the  fist  of  the 
stout  farmer  was  as  hard  as  iron,  for  I  felt  as  though 
I  had  been  struck  with  a  sledge-hammer.  I  had 
done  all  I  could  do ;  and  that  was  nothing  at  all, 
unless  I  had  helped  to  irritate  Tommy's  powerful 
assailant. 

Jed  held  his  victim  down  with  one  hand,  while 
he  jumped  into  the  wagon  himself.  The  little  major 
was  not  inclined  to  yield  the  battle  even  yet,  and 
made  another  ineffectual  effort  to  release  himself 
from  the  iron  grasp  of  his  captor.  Tommy  screamed 
till  the  wild  forests  were  vocal  with  his  cries ;  but 
no  one  but  myself  was  within  hearing  of  his  voice. 
The  determined  farmer  tossed  him  over  upon  the 
seat,  and  then  took  his  place  at  the  side  of  his  con- 
quered foe.  Throwing  one  arm  around  his  body,  he 
took  the  reins  with  the  other,  and  drove  off  at  the 
best  speed  of  the  old  mare. 


THE    WAR    OP    THE    STUDENTS.  217 

Tommy  had  doubtless  provoked  this  man  beyond 
the  limits  of  endurance;   but  I  was  not  prepared  to 
believe  that  he  intended  to  inflict  any  serious  injury 
upon    him.      The    young    gentleman    had    been     ac- 
customed to  being  "monarch  of  all  he  surveyed,"  and 
opposition  from  a  common  farmer  galled  him  sorely. 
Jed   had   pulled   him  from  his  horse  the  day  before, 
under  strong  provocation,  and  after  this  act  Tommy 
could   not   indulge    in    anything   like   conciliation.     I 
tried   to   imagine   what   the    captor   intended   to   do 
with   his   prize.      I   was   willing   to   believe   that   he 
meant  to  give  him  a  sound    thrashing,  and  thus,  to 
use  his  own  language,  "teach  him  better  manners." 
Perhaps    a    little    discipline    of   this    sort   would   do 
Tommy  no  harm ;  but  I  could  not  make  up  my  mind 
exactly  what  sort  of  people  dwelt  in  the  farm-house. 
Christy   Holgate    appeared    to  be    a   prisoner   there; 
and   I   was   not   sure   that    the  little  magnate  might 
not  be   subjected   to   something   worse  than  a  whip- 
ping. 

It  was  useless  for  me  to  attempt  to  chase  the 
wagon  on  foot.  It  had  now  disappeared  behind  a 
hill,  and  I  was  not  disposed  t©  follow  it.     I  decided 


218  SWITCH    OFF,    OR 

that  it  would  be  better  for  me  to  state  the  case  to 
Briscoe;  and,  if  Tommy  did  not  soon  return,  an 
expedition  might  be  sent  for  him.  I  hastened  back 
to  the  camp ;  but,  to  my  surprise,  I  found  that  the 
battalion  had  marched  for  Priam.  The  stores  in  the 
grove  had  been  taken.  I  suppose  I  was  not  missed. 
I  had  directed  the  wagoners  to  take  the  articles 
I  had  piled  up  for  them,  before  I  left  the  bluff. 
Glancing  at  my  watch,  I  saw  that  the  new 
major  had  not  started  till  the  hour  he  had  ap- 
pointed  for  that  purpose.  Tommy's  pony  was  still 
on  the  bluff;  but  he  was  saddled  ready  for  use. 
Probably  Tommy  was  supposed  to  be  in  the  vicin- 
ity when  the  column  moved  off;  and  he  was  to 
be  permitted  to  follow,  or  not,  according  to  his  im- 
perial pleasure. 

I  concluded  to  mount  the  pony,  and  follow  the 
battalion,  though,  as  it  had  half  an  hour  the  start  of 
me,  I  could  hardly  expect  to  overtake  it  before  reach- 
ing Priam,  which  was  only  three  miles  distant.  I 
was  still  "  a  little  mixed "  about  the  head,  and  the 
puny  steed  was  disposed  to  go  much  faster  than  I 
was  willing  to  let  him.     I  overtook  the  column  just 


THE   WAR   OF   THE    STUDENTS.  219 

as  it  "was  entering  Priam.  The  band  was  playing 
one  of  its  choicest  airs,  and  the  people  were  rushing 
out  to  see  the  show.  Urging  forward  the  pony,  I 
astonished  Major  Briscoe  by  presenting  myself,  thus 
mounted,  at  his  side. 

"  "Where's  Tommy  ? "  demanded  he,  looking  ex- 
ceedingly anxious. 

"  He's  in  trouble ;  and  I  want  some  help  to  go 
after  him,"  I  replied. 

Briscoe  halted  his  command,  and  I  briefly  re- 
lated to  him  the  incident  of  which  I  had  been  a 
witness. 

"If  I  had  had  this  pony,  I  should  have  fol- 
lowed and  done  what  I  could  for  him,"  I  added,  in 
conclusion. 

"But  Jed  isn't  a  bad  man,  I  judge,"  replied 
Briscoe. 

"  Perhaps  not ;  but  he  and  Tommy  are  terribly 
incensed  against  each  other." 

"What  can  we  do?" 

"I  don't  know  that  we  can  do  anything,  for 
probably  the   mischief  will  be   done   before   we   can 


220  SWITCH    OFF,    OR 

get  to  the  farm-house ;  but  some  of  us  ought  to 
go   after  him." 

"That's   so." 

"  There  comes  the  TIcayga ! "  I  added,  pointing 
to  Wolf  Penniman's  steamer,  as  she  was  approach- 
ing the  landing  of  the  town. 

It  was  half  jDast  six,  and  Captain  Penniman  was 
on  time,  as  usual.  I  had  an  errand  with  the  young 
captain,  relating  to  the  important  discovery  I  had 
made  at  the  farm-house.  Major  Briscoe  decided 
to  encamp  for  the  night  near  Priam.  I  hastened 
down  to  the  pier,  and  arrived  just  as  the  boat 
made  fast.  Leaping  over  the  rail,  I  climbed  to  the 
promenade  deck,  where  I  was  warmly  greeted  by 
Wolf.  In  as  few  words  as  possible,  I  told  him 
all  about  Christy  Holgate  and  Tommy.  As  I  sup- 
posed he  would,  he  decided  to  remain  over  until 
the  return  of  the  steamer  from  Hitaca  the  next 
morning.  Colonel  Wimpleton  happened  to  be  on 
board,  and,  as  Van  Wolter,  the  mate,  was  entirely 
competent  to  navigate  the  boat,  the  owner  offered 
no  objection  to  the  arrangement. 

We     soon     found    the    camp    of   the    battalion ; 


THE   WAR   OF    THE    STUDENTS.  221 

and,  after  some  consultation  with  Briscoe,  I  was 
detailed  to  look  out  for  Tommy.  "Wolf  declared 
that  he  wanted  no  one  but  me.  Hiring  a  horse 
and  wagon  at  the  hotel,  we  departed  upon  our 
mission. 


222 


SWITCH   OFF,   OB 


CHAPTER  XXI. 

CHRISTY    HOLGATE. 

CAN    hardly   believe    the    man    you    saw  was 
JL   Christy  Holgate,"  said  Wolf,  as  we  drove  off. 
"I  could  not   have  been  mistaken,"  I  replied.     "I 

knew  Christy  very  well.     I    used    to  see  him  almost 

every  clay." 

"But  where  could  he  have  been  all  this  time?" 
"  If  the  people  at  the  farm-house    are   his   friends, 

—  as    of  course    they  are,  —  it  was    easy  enough  to 

conceal  him." 

"  Now  I  think  of  it,  I  have  heard  Lewis  Holgate 

say   he   had    an    aunt    somewhere    near   Middleport. 

Probably  this  farmer's  wife  is  Christy's  sister." 
"  And  they  pretend  that  he  is  insane." 
"  Well,  I  don't   know  but  he  is.      I  often  think  a 

man  must  be  crazy  to  commit  any  crime." 

"What   are   you  going   to   do  with  him,  Wolf?" 


THE   WAR   OF   THE    STUDENTS.  223 

I  asked.  "You  are  all  alone;  for  I  can't  do  much 
to  help  you." 

"I  am  going  to  see  if  the  man  is  Christy,  first," 
laughed  my  companion. 

"You  may  be  sure  of  that." 

"  I'm  going  to  have  a  talk  with  him,  then." 

"You  can't  arrest  him  yourself." 

"I  don't  want  to  arrest  him.  If  he  has  spent 
two  years  on  this  farm,  confined  to  his  chamber  in 
the  attic,  I  will  venture  to  say  he  is  not  a  fit  person 
to  send  to  the  state  prison.  You  say  he  looked  thin 
and  pale  ?  " 

"  Very." 

"If  he  has  been  confined  to  the  house  all  this 
time,  probably  he  has  not  spent  my  father's  money." 

"  Don't  you  suppose  his  wife  knows  where  he  is  ? " 

"  Probably  she  does,  and  Lewis  also." 

"  They  may  have  spent  the  money  for  him." 

"Lewis  has  earned  good  wages  ever  since  his 
father  left,  and  the  two  daughters  work  in  stores. 
The  family  never  appeared  to  have  much  money. 
Everybody  supposes  they  live  on  what  they  earn. 
But  we  can't  tell  much  about  it." 


224  SWITCH    OFF,    OR 

After  a  drive  of  little  moq^,  than  an  hour,  we 
came  in  sight  of  the  farm-house.  I  began  to  be 
quite  nervous  in  view  of  encountering  Jed  and  the 
rest  of  the  family ;  but  Wolf  was  as  cool,  as1  though 
he  were  at  the  wheel  of  the  TJcayga.  He  did  not 
say  in  what  manner  he  intended  to"  accomplish  his 
purpose,  either  in  securing  Christy  or  redeeming 
Tommy  Toppleton  from  bondage.  It  was  nearly 
dark  when  we  drove  up  the  yard,  where  our  line 
had  been  formed  to  put  out  the  fire.  I  glanced 
at  the  window  in  the  attic  which  opened  from  the 
crazy  man's  room.  The  green  paper  curtain  before 
it  was  suddenly  dropped,  and  I  was  confident 
Christy  was  still  there,  though  the  room  could  not 
be  in  very  good  order,  after  the  action  of  the  fire 
and  water.  The  long  ladder  by  which  we  had 
passed  up  the  water  still  rested  against  the  house, 
as  we  had  left  it. 

As  soon  as  we  stopped,  Jed  appeared,  coming 
from  the  barn  with  a  pail  of  milk  in  each  hand. 
He  instantly  recognized  me,  and  I  thought  he  did 
not  look  very  amiable. 

"Don't    say  a  word    about    the    crazy  man,"   said 


THE    WAR    OF    THE    STUDENTS.  225 

Wolf,  when  I  indicated  to  him  that  the  man 
with  the  milk-pails  was  the  captor  of  Tommy  Top- 
pleton. 

"  Christy  is  in  his  room ;  for  I  saw  the  curtain 
drop  as  we  drove  up,"  I  added,  in  a  low  tone. 

"All  right." 

"How  are  you  again,  Jed?"  said  I,  getting  out  of 
the  wagon. 

"  First  rate  !  "  replied  he,  rather  gruffly. 

"What  have  you  done  with  Tommy  Toppleton  ? " 

"I  haven't  clone  anything  with  him,"  replied  Jed, 
setting  down  his  milk-pails. 

"  The  last  I  saw  of  him,  he  was  in  your  wagon, 
coming  this  way." 

"Well,  he  didn't  come  far  with  me,"  answered  Jed; 
but  he  seemed  to  be  more  embarrassed  than  the  oc- 
casion required,  if  he  was  telling  the  truth.  "  As  soon 
as  he  cooled  off,  I  let  him  go." 

"  Where  was  that  ?  "  I  inquired,  astonished  at  this 
information. 

"About  a  mile  and  a  half  this  side  of  where  you 
saw  us.     You  see,  he  begged  my  pardon,  and  prom- 
ised to  settle  for  what  mischief  he  had  done." 
15 


226  SWITCH    OFT',    OR 

"  Did  Tommy  beg  your  pardo«i  ?  " 

"  Certainly,  he  did." 

This  was  the  most  incredible  thing  he  had  yet 
said. 

"  Tommy  is  not  in  the  habit  of  begging  any  one's 
pardon,"  suggested  Wolf. 

"  Well,  he  got  scared,  you  see  " 

We  did  not  see  it. 

"  Which  way  did  he  go  ?  "  I  asked. 

"  He  went  back  towards  the  camp,"  answered  JecL 

I  was  not  satisfied  with  this  story.  If  Tommy 
had  been  liberated  at  the  point  indicated,  we  should 
certainly  have  discovered  him  somewhere  on  the 
road.  He  would  not  have  taken  to  the  woods, 
but  would  have  continued  on  his  way  to  Priam, 
after  he  found  that  the  battalion  had  left  High 
Bluff.  Besides,  it  was  not  reasonable  that  Tommy 
had  apologized  to  his  enemy.  He  had  never  been 
known  to  do  such  a  thing,  and,  in  the  frame  of 
mind  in  which  I  had  last  seen  him,  he  was  not 
likely  to  do  so. 

"  We  have  just  come  down  from  Priam,  and  did 
not  see  anything  of  him,"  I  added. 


THE    WAR    OF    THE- STUDENTS.  227 

"I  don't  know  anything  about  that.  I  meant  to 
give  the  little  rascal  a  sound  thrashing,  and  teach 
him  better  manners.  I  know  just  how  that  boy 
behaves  down  to  Middleport ;  how  he  lords  it  over 
man  and  boy.  I  used  to  think  if  ever  I  got  hold 
of  him,  I'd  lick  him.  Now,  he  insisted  on  scaring 
my  colt,  to  say  nothing  of  risking  my  life  and 
Clarissa's ;  then  he  trod  down  our  spring  wheat, 
and  sent  his  fellows  through  the  garden  ;  and  if 
ever  a  man  was  mad,  I  was.  After  you  put  the 
fire  out,  I  tried  to  think  better  of  him  for  your 
sakes.  If  he  hadn't  sauced  me  again,  I  shouldn't 
have  meddled  with  him.  When  he  threw  rocks 
at  me,  I  meant  to  give  him  some ;  but  he  backed 
down,  and  I  didn't  do  anything  to  him,  to  speak  of." 

"  You  wouldn't  have  gained  anything  by  thrash- 
ing him,"  I  replied.  "  His  father  would  have  pros- 
ecuted you." 

"  I  don't  care  for  that ;  two  can  play  at  that 
game,  as  well  as  one,"  retorted  Jed,  beginning  to 
be  excited. 

"Well,  if  he  isn't  here,  we  may  as  well  drive 
on,"  interposed  Wolf,  starting  the  horse. 


228  SWITCH   OFF,    OB 

Jed  picked  up  his  milk-pails,  and  went  into  the 
back  room  with  tbem. 

"But  be  is  bere,"  said  I,  getting  into  tbe  wagon. 
"I  don't  believe  a  word  of  that  story." 

"  No  matter,"  added  Wolf,  coolly,  as  be  drove  out 
of  tbe  yard. 

I  was  rather  disgusted  with  my  companion,  to 
find  tbat  be  intended  to  give  up  tbe  cbase  so 
easily ;  but  I  did  him  injustice  in  my  thoughts.  He 
had  not  even  hinted  a  word  about  Christy,  and  I 
might  have  known  that  he  would  not  depart  with- 
out seeing  the  robber.  He  turned  the  horse  up  tbe 
road  in  the  direction  of  Priam. 

"  I  see  what  that  fellow  is  made  of,"  said  Wolf, 
when  we  were  out  of  the  hearing  of  the  inmates  of 
the  bouse.     "  He  is  both  ugly  and  cunning." 

"  He  is  ugly  enough ;  but  there  are  some  good 
things  about  him.  He  has  been  very  obliging  to 
us,  at  least." 

"  Because  you  were  arrayed  against  Tommy  Top- 
pleton,"  laughed  Wolf. 

"  He  cut  down  a  pine  tree  for  us,  which  enabled 
our  fellows  to  reach  High  Bluff." 


THE    WAR    OP    THE    STUDENTS.  229 

"  So  that  you  could  pitch  the  major  out  of  office," 
replied  my  friend,  as  he  turned  the  horse  into  a  by- 
road leading  into  the  depths  of  the  woods,  about 
half  a  mile  above  the  farm-house. 

"  What  are  you  going  to  do  now,  Wolf? "  I  in- 
quired. 

"I  am  going  to  attend  to  the  business  which 
brought  us  here.  I  don't  believe  Christy  stays  up  in 
that  chamber  all  the  time." 

It  was  now  almost  dark,  and  Wolf  fastened  the 
horse  to  a  tree.  We  were  on  the  verge  of  what 
was  called  the  wild  region.  Below,  the  country  was 
all  improved,  so  that  the  farm  of  Jed's  father  lay 
next  to  the  woods.  We  sat  down  on  a  rock,  and 
waited  till  it  was  quite  dark,  when  we  walked  down 
the  road  towards  the  house. 

"  What  are  you  going  to  do,  Wolf? "  I  asked, 
nervously,  in   a  whisper. 

"  I  don't  exactly  know.  Perhaps  we  shall  have  to 
go  up  that  ladder,  and  dive  into  Christy's  room 
through  the  window." 

"You  can't  do  that,"  I  protested. 

"  Perhaps  not ;   but  we  will  see  how  the  land  lies. 


2£0  SWITCH    OFF,   OR 

I  think  we  had  better  get  over  the  fence,  and  make 
our  way  to  the  rear  of  the  house.  There  are 
lights  in  the  second  story  window.  The  people  are 
going  to  bed,  and  everything  will  be  quiet  in  a  few 
moments." 

We  climbed  over  the  fence,  and  sat  down  upon 
a  rock,  to  wait  until  the  lights  were  put  out  in  the 
house,  and  the   occupants  had  time  to  fall  asleep. 

"Hush!  don't  say  a  word,"  said  Wolf,  grasping 
my  arm.  N 

I  neither  saw  nor  heard  anything  to  explain  the 
conduct  of  my  couqxmion ;  but,  having  full  confidence 
in  him,  I  heeded  his  request.  A  moment  later  I 
heard  the  sound  of  footsteps  in  the  road.  I  held 
my  breath  with  interest  and  anxiety,  awed  by  the 
manner  of  my  companion,  rather  than  by  the  fact 
that  some  one  was  j)assing  in  the  road  before  me. 
Looking  through  the  fence,  I  saw  a  man.  There 
was  just  light  enough  to  enable  me  to  recognize 
the  gray  coat  which  I  had  seen  upon  Christy,  as  he 
passed  me  in  the  attic  the  day  before.  He  walked 
slowly  up  the  road  towards  the   woods. 

"  Follow    me,"   whispered    Wolf,    as   he  began    to 


THE    WAR    OF    THE    STUDENTS.  231 

creep  along  the  grass  between  the  fence  and  the 
wheat ;  for  we  were  in  the  field  where  the  battle  had 
been  fought  the  day  before. 

"We  walked  in  Indian  style,  feeling  our  way  with 
our  feet,  like  cats  about  to  pounce  upon  their  prey. 
We  continued  in  this  direction  till  we  reached  the 
woods,  through  which  we  could  not  pass  without 
making  too  much  noise.  We  could  not  see  Christy; 
but  he  had  passed  into  the  wild  region.  We  lis- 
tened, but  we  could  no  longer  hear  the  sound  of 
his  step.  With  the  utmost  care  we  climbed  over 
the  fence,  which  was  composed  of  logs,  so  that  it 
did  not  yield  much  beneath  our  weight. 

"Did  you  see  him?"   whispered  Wolf. 

"I  did;  and  I  am  sure  it  was  Christy 3"  I  re- 
plied. 

"I  wonder  where  he  is  gone,"   added  Wolf. 

The  road  was  up  a  gentle  ascent  for  some  distance, 
and  straight,  but  we  could  not  .  see  the  man  we 
sought.  It  was  evident  that  he  had  turned  into 
the  woods.  It  was  possible  that  he  had  taken  the 
road  where  we  had  left  our  horse,  or  that  the  an- 
imal would    make    some    noise,   so  as   to  excite  his 


~232  SWITCH    OFF,    OR 

attention  as  he  passed.  We  crept  silently  along 
the  road  till  Wolf  put  his  hand  upon  my  shoulder 
and  we  halted. 

"  Hark  !  "   whispered  he. 

I  listened.  I  heard  a  low,  murmuring  voice,  utter- 
ing words  in  the  most  solemn  strain.  They  became 
louder  and  more  coherent  in  a  moment,,  so  that 
we  could  tell  what  was  said.  It  was  the  voice  of 
Christy  Holgate.     He  was  praying. 


THE   "WAR   OP   THE    STUDENTS.  233 


CHAPTER  XXII. 


THE    PENITENT. 


CANNOT  describe  the  feeling  of  awe  and  solem- 
nity with  which  I  listened  to  the  earnest  prayer 
of  Christy  Holgate.  His  voice  was  broken  with  deep 
emotion,  as  he  pleaded  for  forgiveness  for  his  sins.  I 
need  not  say  that  Wolf  was  not  less  affected  than  my- 
self, and  we  both  listened  in  respectful  silence  to  the 
petition  of  the  penitent.  It  has  been  said  that  if  a 
man  does  not  grow  better,  he  grows  worse ;  there  is 
no  such  thing  as  standing  still  in  the  moral  scale. 

The  place  which  Christy  had  chosen  for  his  evening 
orisons  was  a  little  open  space  in  the  bushes.  The 
road,  as  I  have  said  before,  was  seldom  travelled,  ex- 
cept by  pleasure  parties  and  tourists,  and  at  the 
present  season  of  the  year  he  was  not  likely  to  be 
interrupted.  "Wolf  beckoned  to  me  with  his  hand, 
and  I  followed  him  as  he  crept  gently  through  the 
opening  into  the  little  natural  arbor. 


234  SWITCH   OFF,    OR 

"  O  Lord,  thou  knowest  how  much  I  have  suffered 
for  my  folly  and  wickedness !  O,  help  me,  and  pardon 
me,  and  make  me  a  good  and  true  man  !     Forgive  me, 

0  Father  in  heaven,  and  give  me  that  peace  which 

1  have  so  long  sought  in  vain !  "  were  the  concluding 
sentences  of  Christy's  prayer. 

He  rose  from  his  knees,  taking  his  hat  from  the 
ground  as  he  did  so.  Turning  to  leave,  he  beheld,  in 
the  gloom,  our  two  shadowy  forms.  He  was  startled, 
and  uttered  an  exclamation  of  alarm.  We  stood  per- 
fectly still,  and  said  nothing ;  for  it  seemed  to  me  that 
nothing  could  be  said  on  such  an  occasion. 

"  Who's  there?"  said  Christy,  in  trembling  tones. 

"Christy  Holgate,"  replied  Wolf,  with  impressive 
accents,  "  I  hope  you  will  find  the  peace  you  seek." 

"  Who  speaks  ?  "  demanned  the  penitent. 

"If  you  have  made  your  peace  with  God  and  man, 
you  will  be  forgiven,"  added  Wolf,  solemnly. 

"Who  are  you?" 

"  It  does  not  matter  who  we  are,  at  present.  I  came 
after  you;  and  it  seems  to  have  been  the  will  of  Provi- 
dence that  I  should  find  you  in  the  attitude  of 
prayer." 


THE    WAR    OF    THE    STUDENTS.  235 

"  What  do  you  want  of  me  ?  "  asked  Christy.  "  Are 
you  an  officer  ?  " 

"  I  am  not  an  officer.  Do  you  feel  as  though  your 
crime  had  been  forgiven?" 

"What  crime?" 

"  The  crime  for  which  you  were  praying  to  be  for- 
given." 

"  Do  you  know  about  it  ?  " 

"I  do  —  all  about  it.  You  robbed  your  friend  of 
twenty-four  hundred  dollars  two  years  ago." 

"  I  did  —  I  did  !  "  groaned  the  penitent. 

"  I  asked  you  if  you  felt  as  though  you  had  been 
forgiven.     You  did  not  answer  me." 

"Sometimes  I  feel  as  though  the  good  Father  had 
pardoned  me,  and  again  I  feel  as  though  he  had  not. 
To-night  I  feel  more  guilty  than  ever.  I  have  tried  to 
perform  my  duty,  but  I  have  not  had  the  courage  to 
do  it.  Will  you  tell  me  who  you  are  ?  If  you  are  an 
officer  of  justice,  I  will  go  with  you.  I  can  suffer  no 
more  in  a  prison  cell  than  I  suffer  here." 

"Why  don't  you  go  back  to  Middleport,  confess 
your  error,  and  take  the  consequences  ? " 

"  Because  I  dare  not.  I  cannot  brand  my  family 
with  infamy  by  voluntarily  going  to  a  prison." 


236  SWITCH   OFF,    OR 

"  Do  your  family  know  you  are  here  ?  "  asked  Wolf, 
deeply  interested  in  the  story  of  the  unhappy  man. 

"My  wife  and  my  daughters  do;  but  they  dared 
not  trust  Lewis  with  the  secret.  I  am  very  wretched, 
and  have  been  from  the  moment  I  stole  the  money." 

"  What  did  you  do  with  the  money  you  stole  ?  "  in- 
quired Wolf. 

"I  don't  like  to  answer  that  question  now.  You 
are  a  stranger  to  me." 

"  I  am  Wolf  Penniman,"  added  my  companion. 

"  Wolf  Penniman !  "  exclaimed  Christy,  starting 
back,  and  trying  to  recognize  in  the  tall  young  man 
at  my  side  the  boy  who  had  confronted  him  on  the 
locomotive  at  the  time  of  the  robbery.  "You  are  not 
Wolf!"  he  added,  incredulously. 

"I  am." 

"You  are  taller  than  you  were." 

"I  have  grown  a  little." 

"  You  have  come  to  curse  me  for  the  wrong  I  did 
your  father." 

"  ~No ;  I  curse  no  one.  I  can  forgive  you,  after  hear- 
ing your  prayer.  I  think  my  father  can  forgive  you 
also,  when  he  knows  how  penitent  you  are.  Come 
out  into  the  road." 


THE    WAR   OF    THE    STUDENTS.  237 

Wolf  led  the  way  to  the  road,  and  we  seated  our- 
selves on  a  rock,  where  there  was  light  enough  to  see 
each  other's  faces.  The  penitent,  who  had ,  been  a 
stout,  hearty  man  two  years  before,  was  now  thin  and 
pale.  He  did  not  look  like  the  person  I  used  to  see  in 
the  engine-room  of  the  old  steamer. 

"You  came  after  me  —  did  you,  Wolf?  How  did 
you  know  I  was  here  ?  " 

"Ned  Skotchley  saw  you  yesterday  at  the  fire." 

"  Did  he  ?  Well,  I  saw  one  or  two  boys  in  the 
attic,  but  I  did  not  know  them,  and  I  didn't  think 
they  would  recognize  me.  But  I  suppose  it  is  all  for 
th'e  , best." 

"You  did  not  tell  me  what  you  had  done  with  my 
father's  money,  Christy,"  continued  Wolf. 

"I  will  tell  you.  I  have  not  dared  to  tell  any  one 
before,  for  fear  my  brother-in-law  would  find  it  out." 

"  Who  is  your  brother-in-law  ?  " 

"Moses  Trottwood.  He  lives  in  this  house.  I  told 
him  I  had  buried  the  money  in  the  woods ;  but  I  told 
him  a  lie.  He  wanted  it,  and  I  told  him  I  could  not 
find  the  place.  He  is  a  hard  man,"  added  the  cul- 
prit, with  a  heavy  sigh.     "  He  has  made  my  wife  and 


238  SWITCH    OFF,    OK 

daughters  pay  three  dollars  a  week  for  my  board, 
though  I  have  always  done  a  man's  work  for  him  ever 
since  I  came  here." 

"  Why  didn't  you  leave  him,  then  ?  " 

"  I  dared  not.  I  went  to  my  room  when  any  one 
came  here,  and  they  said  I  was  crazy.  I  am  almost* 
crazy.  I  shall  be  entirely  so,  if  I  stay  here  much 
longer.  I  am  sent  to  my  attic  room  when  any  one  is 
here,  and  I  haven't  spoken  to  a  soul  before  to-night, 
except  my  sister,  her  husband  and  son,  since  I  first 
came." 

"Doesn't  your  wife  see  you?"  inquired  Wolf,  in 
tones  of  sympathy. 

"  No ;  she  has  been  here  once  or  twice  ;  but  they 
told  her  I  was  crazy,  and  it  wasn't  safe  for  her  to  see 
me.  I  rebelled  once  against  this  tyranny ;  but  Trott- 
wood  threatened  to  send  for  an  officer.  I  have  had  to 
work  for  nothing  for  two  years,  cut  off  from  my 
friends,  and  all  the  comfort  I  have  had  has  been  in  my 
jn-ayers.  The  money  is  safe,  just  as  I  took  it;  for  J 
always  meant  to  give  it  back  to  your  father." 

"Where  is  it?" 

"I  hid  it  in  a  box  under  the  barn.     I  will  give  it  to 


THE    WAE   OP    THE    STUDENTS.  239 

you  this  very  night.  I  feel  that  God  will  pardon  me 
after  I  have  given  it  back  to  the  owner.  Wolf,  as  true 
as  I'm  a  living  man,  I  didn't  mean  to  keep  that  money 
when  I  took  it.  Your  father  and  I  both  had  been 
drinking  a  little  too  much.  I  meant  to  give  it  back 
to  him  when  I  first  took  it;  but  when  it  was  fairly  in 
my  pocket,  I  couldn't  help  thinking  how  much  good 
it  would  do  me.  The  whiskey  made  your  father 
crazy,  and  he  pitched  into  me  so  that  it  made  me  mad, 
and  I  declared  he  should  not  have  the  money  then. 
After  I  left  the  engine,  I  took  to  the  swamp,  and  wan- 
dered about  for  two  or  three  days.  I  then  made  my 
way  to  my  sister's.  She  hid  me  in  the  attic  for  a 
week,  without  the  knowledge  of  her  husband  and  son. 
When  they  discovered  me,  they  kept  my  secret ;  but 
they  made  me  pay  heavily  for  it.  I  am  the  servant, 
in  fact  the  slave,  of  the  family." 

"  You  shall  leave  to-night,  if  you  wish,"  said  Wolf. 

"  O,  I  do  wish  to  leave." 

"I  will  engage  you  as  second  engineer  on  the 
Ucayga,  if  you  like,"  replied  the  generous  Wolf. 
"We  need  another;  and  I  am  authorized  to  employ 
one.  I  don't  think  any  one  will  meddle  with  you,  if 
my  father  is  satisfied." 


240  SWITCH   OFF,    OR 

"Now,  Christy,  you  knew  Tommy  Toppleton  —  did 
you  not  ?  "  I  interposed. 

"Certainly  I  did,  very  well.  He  was  here  yester- 
day, with  his  soldiers,  and  behaved  very  badly  too." 

"  I  am  sorry  to  say  he  did.  Have  you  seen  him 
to-day  ?  " 

Christy  hesitated.  After  the  earnest  prayer  we  had 
heard  him  utter  in  the  solitude  of  his  lonely  retreat, 
where  he  supposed  none  but  He  who  is  the  fountain 
of  mercy  listened  to  it,  I  did  not  expect  him  to  tell 
a  lie. 

"  Have  you  seen  Tommy  to-day  ?  "  I  repeated,  very, 
gently. 

"I  have  seen  him  to-day,"  he  replied,  after  wait- 
ing a  moment.  "  He  was  brought  up  to  the  house  by 
Jed,  an  hour  ago,  or  more.  Jed  is  a  terribly  vindictive 
young  man." 

"What  did  he  do  to  him?"  I  asked,  anxiously. 

"  I  don't  think  he  hurt  him  after  he  came  to  the 
house.  His  father,  who  is  more  timid  than  he,  tried 
lo  have  him  let  the  boy  go." 

"What  have  they  done  with  him?" 

"  They  locked  him  up  in  the  attic  room  oj)posite 


THE   WAR   OF   THE    STUDENTS.  241 

mine.  Tommy  yelled,  and  kicked,  and  pounded  the 
door  till  he  appeared  to  be  worn  out  with  his  exer- 
tions. I'm  afraid  it  will  be  bad  business  for  Jed ;  for 
Major  Toppleton  is  a  powerful  man.  My  nephew  is 
a  bad  fellow,  and  isn't  afraid  of  anything  in  this 
world." 

"Did  Tommy  submit  at  last?"  asked  Wolf. 

"I  suppose  he  did.  He  didn't  make  any  more 
noise." 

"What  does  Jed  mean  to  do  with  him?"  I  in- 
quired. 

"  I  don't  know.  I  should  not  wonder  if  they  meant 
to  keep  him  a  prisoner,  as  they  have  me,  until  they 
can  make  some  money  out  of  the  affair.  They  are 
mean  enough  to  do  anything,"  answered  Christy. 

"  Did  they  give  him  any  supper  ?  " 

"I  don't  know." 

"  How  shall  we  get  him  ?  "  I  asked ;  for  I  was  deter- 
mined to  release  him,  if  we  had  to  pull  the  house 
down,  though  I  rather  preferred  not  to  encounter  Jed 
to  accomplish  the  purpose. 

"I  don't  know  how  we  can  get  him  out  without 
waking  the  folks.  If  I  had  tlw?  Vwy  of  the  room,  I 
16 


242  SWITCH    OFF,    OK 

could  manage  it;  but  I  suppose  Jed  has  it  in  his 
pocket.  But  I  am  going  to  get  that  money  before  I 
do  anything  else,"  said  Christy,  as  he  led  the  way 
around  the  wheat  field  to  the  rear  of  the  barn,  which 
he  entered. 

He  was  absent  some  time,  during  which  we  heard 
him  pulling  up  the  planks.  When  he  returned,  he 
handed  the  roll  of  bills  to  Wolf,  who  carefully  de- 
posited it  in  his  pocket.  The  rest  of  our  mission  at 
the  farm-house  was  more  difficult  to  accomplish. 


THE   WAR   OF   THE    STUDENTS.  243 


CHAPTER   XXIII. 


THE    ATTIC    CHAMBER. 


PERHAPS  Christy  Holgate  overstated  his  moral 
convictions"  at  the  time  he  stole  the  money. 
According  to  his  own  story,  he  had  not  intended  to 
retain  it  at  first,  though  the  j^ossession  was  a  temp- 
tation to  keep  it.  As  nearly  as  I  could  judge,  his 
brother-in-law  had  intended  to  secure  the  plunder  for 
himself,  and  at  the  same  time  force  the  wretched 
criminal  to  bear  the  guilt  of  the  crime.  Trottwood 
had  compelled  him  to  remain  at  his  house,  in  the 
hope  of  getting  the  money.  When  this  hope  failed 
him, — if  it  had  yet  failed  him,  —  he  still  held  on  to 
the  victim,  because  his  services  were  valuable. 

I  had  to  refresh  my  memory  with  a  few  facts  which 
had  come  to  my  knowledge,  before  I  could  fully  be- 
lieve that  Christy's  relatives  were  perfidious  enough 
to  treat  him  as   he  represented   that   they  had.    A 


244  SWITCH   OFF,    OR 

father  in  New  Hampshire  gave  his  son  all  his  prop- 
erty, on  condition  that  the  latter  should  'take  care 
of  him  during  the  remainder  of  his  life.  The  un- 
grateful son  sold  the  farm,  went  to  another  state, 
and  permitted  the  old  man  to  die  in  the  poorhouse. 
Two  similar  instances  were  within  my  own  knowl- 
edge, and  I  had  no  difficulty,  after  thinking  of  these 
things,  in  believing  that  the  engineer's  story  was 
all  true. 

Christy  was  a  criminal  before  the  law,  liable  to 
be  sent  to  the  penitentiary  for  a  long  period.  Even 
his  sister  might  have  brought  herself  to  believe  that 
she  was  doing  him  a  favor  by  saving  him  from  such 
a  fate,  on  the  terms  she  and  her  husband  exacted. 
The  poor  man's  spirits  were  broken  ;  he  had  no 
power  of  resistance,  and  he  suffered  rather  than  flee 
from  his  unnatural  friends.  Trottwood  lived  but  to 
make  money.     His  son  had  no  higher  view  of  life. 

The  capture  of  Tommy  Toppleton  was  a  bold  and 
daring  outrage,  when  the  social  position  and  influence 
of  his  father  are  considered.  It  would  have  been 
safer  to  kidnap  some  friendless  boy,  but  it  would  have 
been  a  profitless  task.     I  was  inclined  to  believe  that 


THE    WAS,    OF    THE    STUDENTS.  245 

the  imprisonment  of  the  little  magnate  in  the  attic 
of  the  farm-house  was  an  afterthought,  and  not  a 
scheme  deliberately  meditated.  Probably  a  portion 
of  Jed's  statement  was  true.  I  had  no  doubt  that 
Tommy  was  saucy  and  insulting,  and  even  that  he 
had  thrown  stones  at  the  young  farmer.  It  was  like 
him  to  do  so.  Thus  provoked,  Jed  might  have  car- 
ried his  idea  of  vengeance  farther  than  he  first  in- 
tended, assisted  by  a  suggestion  of  making  money 
out  of  the  operation. 

Though  it  would  have  done  the  little  gentleman 
no  harm  to  remain  a  prisoner,  under  the  harsh  treat- 
ment of  these  people,  for  a  week  or  two,  it  was  neither 
just  nor  right  to  permit  the  outrage.  If  I  had  con- 
sented to  it,  Wolf  Penniman  would  not;  for  he  knew 
how  much  pain  and  anxiety  his  absence  would  give 
to  Grace  Toppleton,  as  well  as  to  her  pai'ents,  with 
whom  the  young  captain  was  now  on  tolerably 
friendly   terms. 

After  Christy  had  given  up  the  money,  we  seated 
ourselves  in  the  rear  of  the  barn,  to  wait  until  we 
felt  sure  that  the  people  in  the  house  were  sound 
asleep,  and  to  consider  the  means  by  which  we  were 


246  SWITCH    OFF,   OR 

to  effect  the  rescue  of  the  prisoner.  If  the  door  of 
the  chamber  could  be  opened,  we  could  easily  get 
him  down  stairs  before  his  jailers  ascertained  what 
we  were  about.  Christy  thought  he  might  pick  the 
lock,  but  he  was  afraid  Jed  was  sleeping  with  one 
ear  open  on  account  of  his  prisoner. 

"What  kind  of  a  door  is  it?"  asked  Wolf. 

"  It  is  a  common  battened  door,  of  three  quarter 
inch  boards." 

"  Then  it  is  not  very  strong  ?  " 

"  No ;  I  could  put  my  shoulder  through  it  without 
any  trouble." 

"  We  will  do  it  in  that  way,"  said  Wolf,  quietly ; 
and  he  proceeded  to  give  the  details  of  his  plan,  to 
which  neither  Christy  nor  myself  offered  any  ob- 
jections. 

"  I  will  go  up  to  bed,"  said  the  penitent.  "  In 
about  half  an  hour  I  will  break  down  the  door,  take 
the  boy  through  my  room,  and  send  him  down  on  the 
ladder.  When  you  are  ready,  one  of  you  had  better 
come  up  the  ladder,  and  tap  lightly  on  the  window." 

"All  right." 

Christy  left  us,  and  we  made  our  way  back  to  the 


THE   WAK   OF   THE    STUDENTS.  247 

place  where  we  had  left  the  horse  and  wagon.  It  was 
necessary  to  have  the  conveyance  where  we  could 
start  without  any  delay,  as  soon  as  Tommy  was  at  lib- 
erty. I  led  the  horse  into  the  road,  and,  heading  him 
towards  Priam,  fastened  him  to  a  tree.  We  then 
walked  up  to  the  front  of  the  farm-house,  stepping  so 
carefully  as  not  to  make  any  noise.  Everything  was 
quiet,  and  I  had  no  doubt  that  the  farmer  and  his 
son  were  both  sound  asleep.  When  the  half  hour 
had  expired,  as  nearly  as  we  could  judge,  I  went  up 
the  ladder,  and  tapped  lightly  on  the  attic  window. 

A  moment  later  I  heard  a  crash  and  a  scream. 
As  I  afterwards  learned,  the  sudden  assault  startled 
Tommy,  who  had  just  fallen  asleep.  But  he  had 
not  taken  off  his  clothes,  and  Christy  conducted  him 
through  his  own  chamber  to  the  window,  taking  the 
precaution  to  lock  the  door  behind  him,  so  as  to 
delay  pursuit  when  Jed  came  up  stairs. 

"Hurry  up,  Tommy,"  said  I,  in  a  low  voice,  as  I 
helped  the  intended  victim. out  upon  the  ladder. 

"  O,  is  it  you,  Ned  ? "  he  replied,  quivering  with 
agitation,  as  he  recognized  my  voice. 

"  Be  careful  on  the  ladder,"  I  added,  as  he  com- 
menced the  descent. 


248  SWITCH    OFF,   OR 

He  went  down  with  all  the  speed  his  trembling 
limbs  would  permit.  I  was  in  advance  of  him,  and 
kept  one  eye  upon  him,  to  make  sure  that  he  did  not 
fall.  He  was  followed  by  Christy,  who  was  also  very 
nervous  under  the  excitement  of  the  moment.  Before 
I  reached  the  bottom  of  the  ladder,  I  heard  a  great 
commotion  in  the  house.  There  were  hurried  foot- 
steps within ;  but  before  the  inmates  had  discovered 
what  the  matter  was,  we  were  all  upon  the  ground, 
and  hurrying  towards  the  woods,  where  the  horse 
was  awaiting  us. 

"That  was  well  done,"  said  Wolf. 

"  It  was  done  quickly,  at  any  rate,"  replied  Christy. 
"I  suppose  Jed  understands,  by  this  time,  that  his 
prisoner  is  gone.  I  locked  my  door,  as  I  always  do, 
and  he  will  think  I  am  still  in  my  room." 

"He  will  see  that  the  door  of  Tommy's  room  is 
broken  down,"  I  added. 

"Yes,  and  if  he  stops  to  think,  he  will  see  that  it 
could  not  have  been  done  from  the  inside,  for  the 
door  opens  into  the  room." 

"  No  matter,"  said  Wolf,  lightly.  "  He  may  think 
what  he  pleases,  now  we  are  all  safe." 


THE    WAR    OF    THE    STUDENTS.  249 

Arriving  at  the  wagon,  we  all  got  in,  for  fortunately 
there  were  two  seats  in  the  vehicle.  Wolf  took  the 
reins,  and  in  a  moment  more  we  were  on  our  way  to 
Priam.  Tommy  was  on  the  back  seat  with  me,  while 
Christy  sat  in  front  with  the  captain.  Thus  far  the 
little  magnate  had  not  spoken  a  word  since  he  recog- 
nized me,  and  was  conscious  that  he  was  in  the  hands 
of  friends.  He  had  been  terribly  frightened ;  for, 
though  he  was  not  deficient  in  pluck,  the  incidents 
of  his  night's  experience  had  been  rude  enough  to 
startle  even  one  with  the  strongest  nerves. 

As  I  had  seen  for  myself,  Jed  handled  him  very 
roughly ;  and  probably  he  had  not  moderated  his 
treatment  after  we  parted.  The  mere  fact  that  he 
was  in  the  toils  of  his  bitter  and  vindictive  enemy 
was  enough  to  shake  his  wonted  faith  in  himself. 

"  How  do  you  feel,  Tommy  ? "  I  asked,  after  we 
had  ridden  a  short  distance. 

"I  don't  feel  very  well,"  he  replied,  in  a  tone  so 
subdued  and  broken,  that  it  did  not  sound  at  all 
natural.     "I  am  sore  and  lame." 

"  Why,  what's  the  matter  ?  "  I  inquired. 

"I  believe  that  fellow  meant  to  kill  me." 


250  SWITCH   OFF,    OB 

"  No ;  I  think  not." 

"  He  didn't  come  a  great  way  from  it,  at  any  rate," 
added  he ;  and  it  seemed  to  me  that  he  was  trying  to 
choke  down  a  disposition  to  "  have  a  good  cry." 

"  Did  he  hurt  you  ?  "  I  asked,  fearful  that  he  had 
received  more  injury  than  I  had  before  suspected. 

"How  much  pounding  do  you  suppose  I  can  stand?" 
he  replied. 

"Did  he  pound  you?" 

"  Half  a  dozen  times,  besides  knocking  me  about 
like  a  dog.  He  hammered  me  with  his  whip  several 
times  before  he  got  me  to  the  house.  Every  time  I 
tried  to  get  away,  he  gave  me  some.  After  he  locked 
me  up  in  the  room,  I  made  an  effort  to  break  the  door 
down,  and  he  came  in,  and  gave  it  to  me  with  a  strap, 
till  I  agreed  to  keep  still.  I  believe  he  meant  to 
kill  me." 

"  Not  so  bad  as  that,  let  us  hope." 

"What  did  he  mean  to  do,  then?"  demanded  Tom- 
my, who  was  evidently  disposed  to  put  the  worst 
phase  upon  the  case.  "What  did  he  shut  me  up  in 
that  room  for,  after  he  had  licked  me  till  I  was 
sore  ?  " 


THE    WAR    OF    THE    STUDENTS.  251 

"I  don't  know  what  he  intended  to  do;  but  I 
suppose  it  was  only  to  punish  you  for  what  you  did 
yesterday." 

"  Do  you  think  I  did  anything  yesterday  to  deserve 
such  savage  treatment  ?  " 

"  Perhaps  not ;  but  certainly  it  is  not  your  fault 
that  Jed  or  the  girl  was  not  killed  or  badly  injured 
in  that  scrape,"  I  answered,  willing  that  he  should 
derive  all  the  moral  benefit  possible  from  his  suffer- 
ings ;  but  I  spoke  only  what  I  believed  to  be  the 
naked  truth.  "  If  Jed  and  the  girl  had  been  in  the 
wagon  when  the  colt  whisked  round  so  suddenly,  I 
don't  see  what  could  have  saved  one  or  both  of  them 
from  a  broken  limb  or  a  broken  neck." 

"You  are  hard  on  me,  Ned,"  replied  Tommy. 

"  Well,  I  only  state  the  facts  as  they  are.  Briscoe 
and  I  told  Fryes  to  stop  playing." 

The  little  magnate  relapsed  into  silence.  His  spirit 
had  been  broken  for  the  first  time  in  his  life.  Never 
before  had  he  been  conquered,  or  treated  as  his  relent- 
less persecutor  had  treated  him.  I  allowed  him  to 
think  the  matter  over  for  himself. 

"Ned,   I   believe    you    are  right,"  said  he,  at  last. 


252  SWITCH   OFF,    OB 

"I  begin  to  think  I  was  in  the  wrong,  and  perhaps 
this  fellow  has  given  me  no  more  than  I  deserve." 

"  His  conduct  was  wrong ;  it  was  outrageous,  what- 
ever may  be  said  of  yours,"  I  replied. 

"  Ned,  I  have  been  very  miserable  to-day.  I  was  so 
before  I  met  Jed  in  the  road.  I  was  thinking,  as  I 
walked  along,  what  I  had  done  to  make  the  fellows 
hate  me  so  badly." 

"I  don't  think  they  hate  you.  They  won't  stand 
your  tyranny  —  that's  all." 

"  They  don't  like  me,  any  how." 

"That's  so,"  I  answered,  candidly. 

He  was  silent  again.  I  was  glad  to  learn  that  he 
had  begun  to  review  his  past  conduct  before  the 
ruffian  took  him  in  hand.  It  seemed  to  me  that 
Tommy  had  switched  off. 

"Who  is  this  man  on  the  front  seat?"  whispered 
Tommy. 

"Christy  Holgate." 

I  told  the  story  of  Christy  in  a  whisper,  so  that  the 
subject  of  it,  Avho  was  busily  engaged  in  conversa- 
tion with  Wolf,  should  not   hear  me. 

We  had  two  penitents  that  night. 


THE   WAE   OF    THE    STUDENTS.  253 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 

THE    DISASTER    ON"    THE   WHARF. 

T  was  long  after  midnight  when  we  arrived  at  the 
hotel  in  Priam.  We  were  all  fatigued  enough  to 
retire  immediately,  and  Tommy  Toppleton  and  I  took 
a  room  together  at  his  suggestion.  He  did  not  like 
to  be  alone,  and  I  judged  that  he  found  it  difficult 
to  banish  the  image  of  his  terrible  tormentor  from 
his  mind.  Without  distorting  the  truth  in  regard  to 
his  past  conduct,  I  did  all  I  could  to  comfort  him. 
When  he  undressed  himself,  I  was  shocked  to  see  the 
bruises  and  wales  upon  his  body.  He  had  suffered 
much  more  than  I  supposed ;  but  he  conducted  him- 
self with  much  fortitude,  and  I  really  sympathized 
with  him. 

I  washed  the  wales  in  cold  water,  and  did  every- 
thing for  him  which  the  circumstances  permitted.  He 
did  not  say  much  after  we  went  to  the  room,  except 


254 


SWITCH   OFF,   OR 


to  express  his  gratitude  to  Wolf  and  myself  for  the 
service  we  had  rendered  him.  I  did  not  wake  the 
next  morning  till  the  young  captain  rapped  on  my 
door.     I  admitted  him  and  Christy  Holgate. 

"  Plow  do  you  feel,  Tommy  ?  "  asked  Wolf,  tenderly, 
as  my  bedfellow  opened  his  eyes. 

"  I  don't  feel  very  well,"  replied  he. 

"  Perhaps  you  had  better  go  down  on  the  boat 
with  me." 

"Thank  you,  Wolf.  I  will.  I  intended  to  join  the 
battalion  and  serve  in  whatever  place  the  new  major 
gives  me,  just  to  show  that  I  am  right  towards  the 
fellows,"  added  Tommy,  languidly;  "but  I  don't  feel 
able  to  do  so." 

Tommy  had,  indeed,  switched  off! 

"Do  you  feel  sick?"  inquired  Wolf. 

"I  do;  and  I  want  to  go  home.  Before  I  go,  I 
wish  you  all  to  promise  me  one  thing." 

"What  is  that?" 

"Do  not  say  a  word  to  any  one  about  what  has 
happened  to  me  at  that  house  —  not  a  word,"  an- 
swered Tommy,  earnestly. 

"Why  so? "inquired  Wolf. 


THE    WAE    OF    THE    STUDENTS.  255 

"  I'll  tell  you  another  time.  I  will  be  clown  stairs 
in  a  few  minutes." 

Our  visitors  retired,  and  I  saw  that  my  com- 
panion was  suffering  much  pain.  He  was  hardly 
able  to  get  out  of  bed,  and  I  assisted  him  in  dress- 
ing himself. 

"  I  don't  see  how  we  can  keep  this  affair  still,  Tom- 
my," said  I.  "  All  the  fellows  will  want  to  know 
where  you  have  been." 

"  Don't  tell  them.  I  have  fought  the  battle,  and  got 
the  worst  of  it.  I  don't  want  to  be  laughed  at,  and  I 
don't  want  to  be  pitied.  I  feel  sick,  and  I'm  all 
used  up." 

"You  will  have  to  tell  your  own  folks  about  it." 

"No,  I  will  not,"  he  protested  stoutly,  even  in  his 
weakness. 

"  They  will  see  the  marks  upon  your  body." 

"  I  shall  not  say  where  I  got  them." 

"Don't  you  intend  to  prosecute  Jed  for  what  he 
has  done  ?  " 

"  No  !  "  he  replied,  decidedly.  "  If  I  can  get  out 
of  this  scrape,  I  will  never  get  into  another." 

I  was  entirely  satisfied  that  he  should  have  his  own 


256  SWITCH    OFF,    OR 

way.  I  helped  him  down  stairs,  for  I  found  that  he 
needed  my  assistance.  He  paid  the  bill  of  the  whole 
party  at  the  office,  and  ordered  a  wagon  to  convey 
him  to  the  steamer.  I  was  really  alarmed  about  him, 
for  though  he  put  the  best  face  upon  his  condition,  I 
was  certain  that  he  was  very  ill.  He  was  hot  and 
feverish,  and  I  was  glad  that  in  a  couple  of  hours 
more  he  would  be  at  home. 

I  went  on  board  of  the  Ucayga  with  him,  as  she 
made  fast  to  the  wharf.  Wolf  gave  him  his  state- 
room, and  he  lay  down  in  the  berth.  I  shook  his  hand 
as  I  left  him,  and  he  jDressed  mine  with  the  warmth 
of  a  true  friend.  Leaving  him,  I  went  down  to  the 
engine-room,  at  the  door  of  which  Christy  was  wait- 
ing, deeply  agitated  in  view  of  his  approaching  meet- 
ing with  the  man  he  had  wronged.  Wolf  and  I 
went  in  first,  to  prepare  the  way. 

"Father,  here  is  the  money  you  lost  two  years 
ago  —  twenty-four  hundred  dollars,"  said  the  young 
captain,  presenting  the  roll  of  bills  to  the  astonished 
engineer. 

"You  don't  mean  so,  Wolf!"  exclaimed  Mr.  Pen- 

niman. 


TELE   WAR   OF   THE    STUDENTS.  25T 

"  Count  the  money,  father,  and  see  if  I  don't." 

"Where  in  the  world  did  you  get  it?" 

"Ned,  here,  put  me  on  the  track  of  it  yesterday,  and 
that  is  the  reason  I  left  the  boat.  But,  father,  we 
haven't  much  time  to  talk  now.  I  found  Christy 
Holgate  on  his  knees  begging  Heaven  for  forgive- 
ness of  his  crime.  If  God  can  forgive  him,  surely  you 
can,  fathev,  for  Christy  gave  me  back  the  money.  He 
is  a  new  man  now," 

"Well,  but—" 

"  Here  he  is,  father,"  interrupted  Wolf,  leading  the 
penitent  into  the  engine-room. 

"  There's  my  hand,  Christy,"  said  Mr.  Penniman, 
suiting  the  action  to  the  word.  "What  my  boy 
says  I  believe." 

"  Ralph,  I  don't  deserve  any  favors  from  you ;  but  I 
have  suffered  more  with  this  money  than  you  have 
without  it,"  replied  the  penitent,  with  deep  emotion. 
"If  God  forgives  me,  and  you  forgive  me,  Ralph,  I  shall 
be  at  peace,  whatever  happens  to  me  in  this  world." 

"  It's  all  right,  so  far  as  I  am  concerned,"  added  the 
engineer. 

"He  is  to  be  the  assistant  engineer  of  our  boat, 
17 


258  SWITCH   OFF,   OK 

father.  I  have  given  him  the  place.  Colonel  Wim- 
pleton  told  ine  to  engage  one  some  time  ago." 

"  All  right !  But  do  you  drink  anything  now,  Chris- 
ty ? "  asked  Mr.  Penniman. 

"Not  a  drop.  I  haven't  tasted  any  kind  of  liquor 
since  we  drank  together  in  the  engine-room  of  the 
Ruoara." 

"Nor  I!"  exclaimed  Mr.  Penniman, 

"  And  with  the  grace  of  God,  I  never  will  again." 

«  Nor  I !  " 

The  bell  rang  to  start  the  engine,  and  I  rushed  for 
the  plank.  It  was  hauled  in,  but  I  jumped  ashore 
without  difficulty. 

"Look  out  for  Tommy,"  I  shouted  to  Wolf,  as  the 
boat  began  to  gather  headway. 

"  I  will  take  good  care  of  him,"  replied  Wolf. 

"  Where's  that  crazy  man  ? "  shouted  some  one 
near  me. 

I  turned,  and  saw  Jed  Trottwood  driving  his  four- 
year-old  colt  down  the  pier. 

"  Where  is  he  ?  "  demanded  he,  fiercely,  as  he  reined 
in  his  fiery  animal. 

"On  board  that  steamer,"  I  replied. 


THE   WAR   OF    THE    STUDENTS.  259 

*'Stop  her!  Stop  her!"  yelled  Jed,  at  the  top  of 
his  lungs.     "  Here,  hold  my  colt ! " 

The  colt  certainly  needed  holding;  for,  as  the 
steamer  began  to  tumble  the  volumes  of  water  out 
behind  her,  he  became  alarmed,  and  stood  up,  as  he 
had  done  when  we  first  saw  him.  The  driver,  who 
was  not  so  cool  as  when  Miss  Clarissa  was  at  his 
side,  tried  to  get  out  of  the  vehicle;  but  the  rest- 
less animal  would  not  permit  him  to  do  so,  and  he  was 
compelled  to  hold  on  the  reins  to  keep  him  from 
running  away.  Jed  was  angry  and  excited.  More  of 
his  attention  was  devoted  to  the  steamer  than  to 
the  colt,  while  the  latter  needed  all  his  thought  and  all 
his  skill.  He  was  more  intent  upon  securing  the  cra- 
zy man  than  the  crazy  horse. 

"  Can't  you  tell  the  steamboat  to  stop,  cap'n  ? " 
said  Jed  to  me,  as  his  horse  still  reared  and  plunged. 

"I  can  tell  it  to  stop,  but  I  don't  believe  it  will 
do  so." 

"  That  crazy  man  will  tear  somebody  to  pieces." 

"  Your  colt  will  tear  you  to  pieces,  if  you  don't  look 
out  for  him,"  I  replied. 

I  was  no  seer,  but  my  words  were  more  prophetic 


260  SWITCH    OFF,   OR 

than  I  anticipated.  Suddenly,  in  spite  of  bit  and 
rein,  the  colt  whirled  round,  and  attempted  to  run 
up  the  long  pier,  which  had  been  extended  to  deep 
water.  The  pier  was  not  wide  enough  for  the  wag- 
on to  turn  from  the  point  where  it  had  stood,  and 
the  instant  the  fractious  colt  saw  the  yawning  abyss 
of  waters,  towards  which  he  was  headed,  he  sheered 
violently.  The  forward  wheel  cut  against  the  body, 
overturned  it,  and  with  a  thrill  of  horror  I  saw  Jed 
whirled  into  the  lake. 

Several  men  sprang  forward  to  seize  the  bridle  of 
the  furious  beast;  but  the  wagon  went  over  into  the 
lake.  This  time  the  snipe-bill,  which  had  evidently 
been  keyed  into  the  axletree  after  the  last  disaster, 
did  not  draw  out,  as  before.  The  whole  vehicle  hung 
together  like  "the  wonderful  one-horse  shay."  For 
an  instant  the  colt  struggled  to  escape  from  the  weight 
of  the  wagon,  which  was  pulling  him  down,  but  it  was 
only  for  an  instant;  then  horse  and  vehicle  dropped 
into  the  lake  together. 

The  momentum  of  the  whirl  which  had  tossed  Jed 
into  the  water  carried  him  a  little  beyond  the  place 
where   his   team   fell,  or   he  might  have  been  entan- 


THE   WAS   OF   THE    STUDENTS.  261 

gled  in  the  wreck,  and,  perhaps,  have  been  kicked 
to  death  by  the  struggles  of  the  infuriate  horse. 
I  held  my  breath  with  terror  and  anxiety,  for  the  fate 
of  man  and  horse.  Others  shouted  and  screamed  ;  but 
for  a  moment  no  one  did  anything  to  save  the  animal 
or  his  driver.  Perceiving  a  skiff  hauled  up  on  the 
beach,  near  the  upper  end  of  the  wharf,  I  rushed  for 
it  with  all  the  speed  my  half-paralyzed  limbs  would 
permit.  I  pushed  it  off,  and  sculled  towards  Jed,  who 
was  floundering  in  the  water,  out  of  his  depth,  and 
apparently  unable  to  swim. 

I  soon  reached  him,  and  he  had  nearly  upset  the 
boat  in  his  efforts  to  get  into  it,  when  I  begged  him 
to  desist,  or  he  would  certainly  be  drowned ;  but  there 
was  no  more  sense  in  him  than  there  was  in  the  colt. 
Cool  as  he  had  before  been  on  the  land,  he  was  beside 
himself  in  the  water.  As  it  was  impossible  for  him  to 
get  into  the  frail  skiff,  he  was  soon  weary  of  his  exer- 
tions. I  was  of  mine  in  keeping  him  from  upsetting 
the  boat.  I  finally  persuaded  him  to  hold  on  at  the 
stern,  till  I  paddled  ashore. 

Jed  was  safe,  but  the  horse  was  not.  He  was  so 
entangled   in   the   harness   that   he  could  not   swim, 


262  SWITCH   OFF,   OB 

and  his  violent  efforts  soon  disabled  him.  By  this 
time  three  boats  were  near  enough  to  do  something; 
but  the  colt  had  somehow  turned  himself  over.  His 
head  seemed  to  be  caught  under  water,  and  he 
was  still  at  last.  A  rope  was  thrown  beneath  him  ; 
but  when  he  was  pulled  up  by  the  men  on  the 
wharf,  it  was  all  over  with  him.  The  colt  was 
drowned. 

Jed  was  overwhelmed  by  the  disaster.  He  swore 
like  a  pirate ;  and  then  people  did  not  seem  to  pity 
him.  Some  of  them  told  him  it  was  his  own  fault, 
because  he  had  foolishly  driven  an  unbroken  colt  upon 
the  pier. 

"That  colt  was  worth  two  hundred  dollars  of  any 
man's  money,"  muttered  he,  after  he  had  become  a 
little  cooler.  "  Who's  going  to  pay  for  him  ? "  he 
demanded,  turning  to  me. 

"  I'm  not,"  I  replied. 

"  But  I  guess  that  Toppleton  boy's  folks  will  have 
to  do  it." 

"I  think  not,"  I  replied,  in  a  low  tone.  "If  Tom- 
my's folks  don't  send  you  to  the  state  prison,  you 
can't  afford  to  bring  in   any  bills  against  them." 


THE   WAR   OF   THE    STUDENTS.  263 

"  What  do  you  mean  ? "  he  asked,  a  little  dis- 
turbed. 

I  told  him  what  he  had  done  to  Tommy,  and  that 
his  victim  was  on  board  of  the  Ucayga.  He  seemed 
to  be  alarmed,  and  wanted  to  talk  with  me.  I  ex- 
plained the  case  to  him  as  I  understood  it,  and  assured 
him  he  would  be  lucky  if  he  escaped  with  only  the 
loss  of  the  colt. 

"But  what  do  they  want  of  the  crazy  man? "he 
continued. 

"Christy  Holgate?" 

"  You  know  all  about  him,  then  ?  " 

"I  do;  he  is  now  one  of  the  engineers  on  board  of 
that  boat." 

This  information  was  enough  to  complete  the  sum 
total  of  Jed's  misery.  He  felt  like  a  planter  who  had 
lost  his  best  slave, — for  such  the  penitent  had  been  to 
his  relatives.  Then  I  added  that  Christy  had  given 
up  the  money ;  and  Jed  seemed  to  feel  as  though  he 
and  his  father  had  been  abused.  I  suggested  that  it 
would  be  fair  for  them  to  pay  back  the  money  they 
had  received  for  the  penitent's  board,  as  he  had  earned 
double  the  amount  for  his  persecutors. 


264  SWITCH   OFF,   OR 

I  left  him  to  find  the  battalion.  He  was  obliged 
to  hire  a  horse  to  take  him  home.  If  Tommy  Top- 
pleton  had  been  deservedly  punished,  the  Trottwoods 
had  not  gained  anything,  either  by  their  treatment 
of  Christy  or  by  taking  the  law  into  their  own 
hands. 


THE   WAR   OF   THE    STUDENTS.  265 


CHAPTER    XXV. 


LET   US    HAVE    PEACE. 


THE  battalion  was  encamped  in  a  field  on  the 
outskirts  of  the  village.  During  my  absence  the 
evening  before,  Major  Briscoe  had  drilled  the  com- 
panies, and  put  them  through  all  their  evolutions,  to 
the  intense  admiration  of  the  Priamites.  I  learned 
that  our  fellows  had  been  treated  with  great  kindness 
and  hospitality  by  the  people,  and  a  portion  of  the 
officers  had  spent  the  evening  with  some  of  "  the  first 
families." 

When  I  reached  the  camp,  the  battalion  was  pre- 
paring for  the  march.  As  soon  as  I  appeared,  the 
officers  gathered  around  me,  and  wanted  to  know 
what  had  become  of  Tommy.  I  found  myself  placed 
in  a  difficult  position  after  the  instructions  the  suf- 
ferer had  given  me.  I  simply  told  them  we  had 
found  Tommy;  that  he  was  sick,  and  had  just  taken 


266  SWITCH   OFF,   OR 

the  steamer  for  home.  They  asked  me  a  gr-eat  many 
questions  which  I  did  not  answer.  I  succeeded  in 
turning  their  attention  from  Tommy  to  Christy  Hol- 
gate,  whose  narrative  I  related  in  part,  so  as  to  enable 
my  companions  to  understand  the  character  of  the 
Trottwoods. 

They  listened  with  excited  attention  when  I  told 
them  of  the  fate  of  Jed's  colt;  and  if  they  were  sorry 
for  the  animal,  I  do  not  think  they  sympathized  very 
deeply  with  the  owner  in  the  loss  he  had  incurred. 
Having  told  all  I  had  to  say,  I  was  anxious  to  learn 
the  condition  of  the  battalion,  and  whether  there 
was  likely  to  be  a  mutiny  against  the  new  order  of 
things. 

"Barnscott  and  two  or  three  others  are  a  little 
grouty,  but  every  officer  and  man  does  his  duty  faith- 
fully," replied  Briscoe,  in  answer  to  my  questions.  "I 
tlon't  think  we  shall  have  any  trouble." 

"I  hope  not." 

"  I  never  saw  the  fellows  drill  so  well  as  they  did 
last  night,"  added  the  major.  "The  crowd  that  looked 
on  frequently  applauded  them.  The  dress  parade  was 
absolutely  perfect." 


THE    WAR   OF    THE    STUDENTS.  267 

"  Then  you  expect  to  win  the  banner  on  Friday." 

'■  Of  course  I  do,"  laughed  Briscoe. 

"  They  say  the  Wirapleton  Battalion  has  been  in- 
creasing in  numbers  lately.  There  are  over  two  hun- 
dred students  on  the  other  side  of  the  lake,  and  they 
turn  out  three  companies." 

"  Their  numbers  won't  help  them  in  a  drill.  On 
the  contrary,  they  have  so  many  new  recruits  that 
our  chances  are  improved." 

"  But  the  drill  comes  off  to-morrow,  Major  Briscoe. 
Of  course  you  don't  expect  to  march  round  to  Cen- 
treport  now." 

"No;  certainly  not;  but  I  intend  to  go  to  Hitaca 
to-day.  We  shall  take  it  easy,  and  arrive  by  five 
o'clock  this  afternoon.  We  can  show  off  a  little  there 
to-night,  and  take  the  steamer  in  the  morning  down 
the  lake.  We  will  land  at  Gulfport,  and  march  the 
rest  of  the  way.  This  was  what  we  agreed  upon 
last  night." 

"  I  don't  think  we  can  do  any  better,"  I  replied. 
"  Tommy  told  me  he  wished  you  to  use  his  pony. 
You  are  a  field  officer,  and  are  entitled  to  be 
mounted." 


268  SWITCH    OFF,   OK 

"  I  am  very  much  obliged  to  him,  though  I  can't 
help  thinking  the  message  is  a  very  strange  one  to 
come  from  him  to  me." 

"  I  don't  think  so.     Tommy  has  switched  off." 

"Switched  off?" 

"  Precisely  so.  That's  a  railroad  phrase,  and  means 
that  he  has  turned  over  a  new  leaf.  Tommy  did  not 
say  much,  but  he  accepts  the  situation,  and  means  to 
make  the  best  of  it." 

"  I  hope  it  is  true." 

"  I  think  it  is,  but  time  alone  can  prove  it.  I  am 
afraid  he  is  going  to  be  sick." 

"  I  should  think  he  would  be,  if  he  has  switched 
off.     It  will  be  a  great  change  of  diet  for  him." 

"Tommy  was  never  a  bad  fellow.  If  you  could 
only  get  the  conceit  out  of  him,  he  would  be  a  good 
fellow.  Being  the  biggest  toad  in  the  puddle  did 
not  agree  with  his  constitution." 

"Well,  I  don't  know  but  that  is  enough  to  spoil 
almost  any  fellow.  Did  Jed  thrash  him,  or  anything 
of  that  sort,"  inquired  the  major,  curiously. 

"  I  promised  Tommy  that  I  would  not  say  any- 
thing: about  it.    Don't  ask  me,  Briscoe." 


THE   WAK   OF   THE    STUDENTS.  269 

«I  won't." 

"He  feels  very  sore." 

"In  his  bones?" 

"  In  spirit ;  and  in  his  bones,  too.  I  think  he  must 
have  taken  a  severe  cold,  for  I  cannot  account  for 
his  condition  in  any  other  way." 

The  battalion  had  formed  in  column,  and  the  march 
to  Hitaca  was  commenced.  It  was  a  magnificent  day, 
and  our  fellows  had  rested  enough  to  make  them 
fresh  and  vigorous.  The  band  played  its  choicest 
airs,  and  I  never  saw  soldiers  march  better  than 
those  of  the  battalion.  The  applause  bestowed  upon 
them  by  the  Priamites  stimulated  them  to  do  their 
best.  We  were  followed  for  some  distance  by  the 
juvenile  portion  of  the  people  of  the  town,  but  they 
soon  left  us;  the  "route  step"  was  ordered,  and  we 
went  along  as  happily  as  though  wo  had  not  just 
passed  through  the  "war  of  the  students." 

The  scenery  in  this  locality  was  magnificent.  There 
are  half  a  dozen  cataracts  in  the  vicinity  of  Hitaca, 
one  of  which  is  fifty  feet  higher  than  Niagara,  though, 
of  course,  its  volume  of  water  is  vastly  less.  Our 
march,  therefore,  was  full  of  interest,  and,  with  the 


270  SWITCH   OFF,   OR 

sublime  and  beautiful  around  us,  we  knew  no  such 
thing  as  fatigue.  Halting  for  an  hour  for  dinner,  we 
entered  Hitaca  in  the  middle  of  the  afternoon,  almost 
as  fresh  as  when. we  started,  for  we  had  made  fre- 
quent stops  to  rest  and  view  the  scenery. 

We  were  handsomely  received  by  some  of  the  prin- 
cipal citizens,  who  had  been  apprised  of  our  approach. 
A  field,  near  the  head  of  the  lake,  was  appropriated 
to  our  reception,  and  we  were  invited  to  a  collation 
in  the  evening.  We  pitched  our  tents,  brushed  the 
dust  from  our  uniforms,  and  soon  looked  as  spruce 
and  tidy  as  when  we  started. 

"We  shall  be  full  of  soldiers  to-night,"  said  one 
of  the  gentlemen  who  visited  us  to  me. 

"We  are  only  a  hundred  and  fifty,"  I  replied. 

"  But  the  others  will  be  here  to-night." 

"What  others,  sir?"  I  inquired. 

"Why,  the  battalion  from  the  other  side  of  the 
lake  —  the  Wimpleton  students,"  laughed  the  gentle- 
man, as  though  he  were  familiar  with  the  quarrel 
which  had  so  long  existed  between  the  two  in- 
stitutions. 

"Indeed!     Are   they  coming   too?"  I    exclaimed, 


THE   WAE   OF   THE    STUDENTS.  271 

astonished  at  the  information ;  though  I  need  not  have 
been,  for  one  side  never  did  anything  in  which  the 
other  did  not  immediately  follow  suit. 

"  We  heard  of  them  at  Port  Gunga  this  morning, 
and  they  must  be  here  very  soon,"  answered  the 
citizen. 

I  did  not  exactly  like  the  idea  of  meeting  the 
Wimpletonians  at  first.  I  dreaded  a  collision  of  any 
kind,  which  the  rivalry  between  the  two  Institutes 
was  likely  to  produce.  I  went  to  Major  Briscoe  at 
once  with  the  information. 

"  Good  !  "  replied  he.     "  I  am  glad  we  arrived  first." 

"  We  must  keep  our  men  close  to-night,  or  there 
may  be  a  row,  which  would  be  very  mortifying  to  all 
of  us." 

"  We  will  not  have  any  row,  or  anything  of  the 
kind.  Colonel  Wimpleton  and  Major  Toppleton  may 
quarrel,  if  they  are  so  minded,  but  I  will  have  nothing 
to  do  with  their  feud.  We  will  do  the  handsome 
thing,  Skotchley." 

"What's  that?"  I  asked,  with  deep  interest. 

"Let  us  have  peace,"  said  the  major,  impressively ; 
and  I  am  not  sure  he  was  not   the   original   author 


272  SWITCH   OFF,   OR 

of  this  celebrated  expression.  "  It  takes  two  to 
quarrel.  We  will  be  the  first  to  hold  out  the  olive- 
branch.  I  purpose  to  march  out  and  escort  the 
Wimpletonians  into  town  with  all  the  honors.  We 
will  treat  them  with  the  utmost  respect  and  con- 
sideration ;  and  I  am  sure  there  will  be  nothing  but 
the  best  of  feeling." 

"  I  like  that,"  I  replied,  with  emphasis. 

"  If  we  are  cross  and  sullen,  they  will  also  be  so ; 
and  then  it  won't  take  much  to  get  up  a  quarrel." 

I  was  delighted  with  this  proposition.  It  Avas  ex- 
actly in  accordance  with  my  own  feelings.  Major 
Briscoe  ordered  the  lines  to  be  formed,  and  then  re- 
solved the  battalion  into  a  hollow  square.  He  stated 
briefly  that  the  Wimpletonians  were  on  the  march 
for  Hitaca,  and  would  soon  arrive.  He  was  in  favor 
of  conciliation  and  good  feeling,  especially  as  we  were 
to  drill  with  them  the  next  day.  He  meant  to  be 
courteous  to  them,  and  should,  therefore,  tender  them 
an  escort.  The  fellows  clapped  their  hands,  per- 
haps with  a  few  excej>tions.  Briscoe  then  cautioned 
his  officers  and  men  to  treat  our  rivals  as  though 
they  were  our  best  friends. 


THE    WAR   OF    THE    STUDENTS.  273 

The  speech  concluded,  the  battalion  broke  into 
column,  and  we  marched  out  on  the  Southport 
•  road.  We  halted  just  outside  of  the  town,  and  Bris- 
coe appointed  me  to  go  forward  and  meet  the  Wim- 
pletonians.  I  was  to  "do  the  pleasant"  in  the  most 
agreeable  manner,  to  tender  the  escort,  and  arrange 
the  formalities  according  to  the  instructions  given 
me  by  the  major.  I  walked  about  half  a  mile,  and 
stopped  to  view  a  beautiful  cascade.  While  I  was 
appreciating  its  beauties,  I  heard  the  drum-beat  of 
the  Wimpleton  column.     I  waited  until  it  came  up. 

Magnanimous  as  I  was  disposed  to  be  on  my  er- 
and  of  peace,  I  „could  not  help  feeling  that  our 
rivals  did  not  quite  come  up  to  our  standard.  Their 
uniforms  were  not  so  new  and  bright,  and  they  had 
only  a  drum  corps.  I  stepped  up  to  Major  Ben 
Pinkerton,  who  was  in  command,  and,  saluting  him 
with  my  sword,  delivered  my  message. 

"That's  handsome,  and  I'm  very  much  obliged 
to  you,"  replied  the  major.  "I'll  speak  to  our  fel- 
lows, and  give  you  an  answer  in  a  few  moments." 

He  halted  his  column,  and,  after  consulting  his 
officers  and  men,  informed  me  that  the  polite  offer 
18 


274  SWITCH    OFF,    OR 

of  Major  Briscoe  was  gratefully  accepted.  I  had 
delicacy  enough  to  retire,  after  I  had  stated  the  pro- 
gramme suggested  by  my  commander,  in  order  to 
enable  Major  Pinkerton  to  give  such  instructions  to 
his  force  as  the  unexpected  meeting  might  require. 
I  did  not  hear  what  he  said  to  them,  but  I  have  no 
doubt  they  were  substantially  the  same  as  those  to 
Which  I  had  listened   in  our  own  battalion. 

The  march  was  resumed,  and  in  due  time,  the 
Wimpletonians  reached  our  battalion,  which  was 
drawn  up  in  line  at  the  side  of  the  road. 

"Present  —  arms!"  shouted  Major  Briscoe;  and  the 
band  played  the  appropriate  air. 

The  Centreport  battalion  marched  by  the  other, 
and,  in  turn,  forming  at  the  side  of  the  road,  pre- 
sented arms,  while  we  marched  in  front  of  it.  We 
then  took  the  head  of  the  column,  and  escorted  our 
guests  into  Hitaca,  where  we  were  received  with  ap- 
plause. On  the  ground  appropriated  to  the  "Wimple- 
tonians Ave  presented  arms  again.  The  two  majors 
met,  shook  hands,  and  appeared  to  be  the  best  of 
friends.  In  fact  it  was  a  jolly  time.  We  helped  the 
Wimps   pitch  their  tents,  and   did  all  we   could  to 


THE    WAR    OF    THE    STUDENTS.  275 

assist  thern.  Such  a  fraternizing  of  ancient  enemies 
was  never  seen,  and  I  began  to  think  we  should 
get  to  hugging  one  another  before  the  scene  was 
finished. 

At  seven  o'clock  we  formed  again.  More  cour- 
tesies followed.  The  majors  each  reviewed  the  bat- 
talion of  the  other,  and  we  marched  in  one  column 
to  the  festivities  of  the  evening.  We  had  a  grand 
time,  —  all  the  better  for  the  sudden  and  unexpected 
meeting  with  the  Wimpletonians.  At  ten  we  went 
to  our  camps. 


276  SWITCH   OFF,   OK 


CHAPTER  XXVI. 


TOPPLETON    TRIUMPHANT. 


AT  an  early  hour  the  next  morning,  Briscoe 
called  me,  and  the  battalion  was  soon  on  its 
feet.  At  half  past  five  we  had  finished  breakfast, 
and  everything  was  ready  to  embark  in  the  steamer. 
Not  a  little  to  our  surprise,  we  saw  that  the  Wim- 
pletonians,  who  were  encamped  near  us,  were  under 
arms.  Knowing  that  we  were  to  leave  before  them, 
they  tendered  us  an  escoi't,  which  was  gratefully  ac- 
cepted. We  marched  down  to  the  landing-place, 
countermarched,  presented  arms,  and  saluted,  each 
battalion  in  its  turn.  When  we  were  on  the  prom- 
enade deck  of  the  boat,  we  cheered  each  other  with 
abundant  good  will.  So  far  as  the  relations  of  the 
two  Institutes  were  concerned,  the  millennium  ap- 
peared to  have  come ;  for,  instead  of  battling  with  each 
other  on  the  slopes  of  the  Horse  Shoe,  as  we  had  done 


THE   WAR    OP    THE    STUDENTS.  277 

during  the  preceding  season,  we  were  trying  to  see 
which  could  outdo  the  other  in  courtesy  and  good 
feeling. 

As  the  Ucayga  did  not  start  till  three  quarters  of 
an  hour  later,  Wolf  Penniman  came  on  board  of  the 
steamer  to  see  us.  No  one  could  have  been  more 
delighted  than  he  was  when  he  saw  the  rival  acade- 
mies  on  such  friendly  terms.  He  declared  that  it  did 
his  heart  good  to  see  the  sight,  and  that  he  should 
almost  be  willing  to  die  if  he  could  only  see  Colonel 
"Wimpleton  and  Major  Toppleton  reconciled  to  each 
other. 

"  I  have  some  hopes  of  it,"  he  added,  "  after  what  I 
have  seen  to-day  and  last  evening." 

"  I  don't  know,"  I  replied,  doubtfully.  "  They  have 
been  quarrelling  for  several  years,  and  it  will  be  hard 
for  them  to  make  up." 

"To  brake  up,  you  mean,"  added  Wolf,  in  railroad 
parlance. 

"  Since  Waddie  and  Tommy  have  both  switched  of£ 
it  is  possible  that  their  fathers  may  brake  up.  But 
how  was  Tommy  when  you  left  him?" 

"  He  was  quite  sick.     I  sat  with  him  most  of  the 


278  SWITCH   OFF,    OR 

time,  in  ray  state-room,  during  the  passage,  and  I  was 
satisfied  that  he  bad  indeed  switched  off.  He  con- 
fessed to  me  that  he  had  been  rather  rough  on  the 
fellows.  "When  the  boat  arrived  at  Centreport,  he 
concluded  to  go  down  to  Ucayga  with  me,  and  return 
so  that  I  could  see  him  home  at  noon.  I  think  the 
events  of  the  last  few  clays  have  knocked  the  conceit 
all  out  of  him.  Pie  is  particularly  grateful  to  you, 
Ned,  for  what  you  did,  after  he  had  treated  you 
so  shabbily.  That's  what  turns  an  enemy  into  a 
friend." 

"I  was  trying  to  imitate  your  example,  Wolf,  for  I 
believe  in  it." 

"  O,  my  example  is  nothing !  So  far  as  Waddie  was 
concerned,  I  only  did  what  my  mother  taught  me  — 
'Love  your  enemies.'  That's  the  true  principle.  It 
is  hard  sometimes,  but  it  pays  in  the  long  run,  or  the 
short  one  either.  I  only  hope  that  Tommy  will  do 
as  well  as  Waddie  has  done.  After  we  had  landed 
our  passengers  at  Centreport,  I  ran  the  Ucayga  over 
to  Middleport,  and,  procuring  a  carriage,  conveyed 
Tommy  to  his  father's  house.  The  family  were  very 
much  alarmed  about  him,  and  sent  for  the  physician. 


THE    WAR   OF    THE    STUDENTS.  279 

1  shouldn't  wonder  if  lie  had  a  fever.  I  staid  with 
him  till  it  was  time  for  the  boat  to  make  her  after- 
noon trip." 

"  Did  you  see  Grace  ?  "  I  asked. 

"  I  did,"  replied  Wolf,  blushing.  "  She  was  very- 
grateful  to  us  for  what  we  had  done  for  her  brother. 
I  shall  see  him  again  to-day  noon." 

The  bell  rang  for  the  departure  of  the  boat,  and 
Wolf  hurried  on  shore.  As  the  old  steamer  worked 
out  from  the  wharf,  the  Wimpletonians  cheered  us 
again,  and  we  lustily  returned  their  parting  salute.  I 
saw  Wacldie  in  the  ranks,  as  I  had  seen  him  several 
times  before.  He  did  his  duty  as  a  private,  and  I  was 
told  that  he  never  even  suggested  any  orders,  much 
less  dictated  the  movements  of  the  battalion.  When 
he  was  consulted,  he  gave  his  opinion  freely ;  but  he 
never  put  himself  forward,  and  positively  refused  to 
accept  any  office. 

Our  battalion  formed  almost  the  entire  company 
of  passengers  on  the  railroad  boat.  The  fight  between 
the  two  lines  did  not  rage  very  fiercely  after  the  first 
season.  Major  Toppleton  always  said  he  intended 
to  do  something  to  recover  his  lost  ground,  but  he 


280  SWITCH    OFF,    OR 

had  accomplished  nothing  yet.  He  had  caused  a 
partial  survey  to  be  made  for  a  continuation  of  the 
Lake  Shore  Railroad  to  Hitaca,  but  the  expense  of 
constructing  the  road  through  the  wild  region  was 
too  appalling  even  for  him. 

Colonel  Wimpleton  was  waiting  to  see  what  the 
major  intended  to  do.  When  he  found  that  the 
Ucayga,  working  according  to  the  plan  arranged 
by  Wolf,  took  the  greater  portion  of  the  travel,  he 
concluded  not  to  build  another  steamer  at  present. 
The  steamboat  line  was  paying  well,  and  another 
boat  might  carry  the  balance  over  to  the  other 
side  of  the  ledger. 

On  the  other  hand,  the  Lake  Shore  Railroad  was 
doing  a  good  business  with  its  local  freight  and  pas- 
sengers, so  that  the  major  hesitated  before  he  em- 
barked on  a  new  venture.  The  first  excitement  of 
the  competition  had  subsided,  and  I  am  sorry  to  add, 
that  the  personal  habits  of  Colonel  Wimpleton  were 
such  that  he  did  not  give  much  attention  to  business 
of  any  kind. 

Our  battalion  landed  at  Gulfport,  and  immediately 
marched  for  Ceutreport,  where  the  prize  drill  was  to 


THE    WAR    OF    THE    STUDENTS.  281 

take  place.  At  the  picnic  grounds  we  halted  for 
rest  and  drill.  The  companies  were  addressed  by  the 
major  and  by  the  captains,  in  order  to  fire  their  zeal 
in  the  approaching  friendly  contest  with  the  Wim- 
pletonians.  Our  fellows  drilled  splendidly,  and  I  was 
morally  certain  that  we  should  carry  off  the  banner. 
The  march  was  resumed,  and  when  we  arrived  at  the 
entrance  of  the  town,  we  were  met  by  the  Wimple- 
tonians,  who  had  come  down  from  Hitaca  in  the 
Ucayga.  All  the  courtesies  we  had  practised  before 
were  gone  through  with  again ;  and  under  their  escort 
we  marched  to  the  green  in  front  of  the  "VVimpleton 
Institute,  where  the  drill  was  to  take  place. 

Already  a  great  crowd  of  people  from  both  sides 
of  the  lake  had  assembled  to  witness  the  show.  The 
two  battalions  were  dismissed  for  half  an  hour,  and  our 
new-made  friends  invited  us  to  the  refectory  of  the 
Institute,  where  a  substantial  collation  had  been  pro- 
vided for  the  contestants.  The  rival  students  min- 
gled together  in  harmony,  and  the  utmost  good  will 
prevailed.  Parties  on  both  sides  declared  that  what- 
ever the  result  of  the  contest,  they  should  be  satis- 
fied ;  and  there  were  not  wanting  those  on  each  side 
who  hoped  that  the  other  would  win  the  prize. 


282  SWITCH    OFF,    OK 

Colonel  Wimpleton  was  present,  but  Major  Topple- 
ton  was  detained  at  home  by  the  illness  of  Tommy. 
The  judges  were  West  Pointers,  having  no  interest 
in  either  party,  and  we  all  expected  a  just  judgment 
from  them.  At  one  o'clock  we  formed  in  line,  and 
both  battalions  were  reviewed  by  Colonel  Wimpleton 
and  the  judges.  Then  each  company  alternately,  one 
from  the  Centreport  battalion,  and  then  one  from  the 
Middleport,  was  drilled  separately.  The  Wimpletoni- 
ans  followed  with  their  battalion  movements,  and  the 
contest  was  concluded  by  the  Toppletonians. 

There  were  three  judges,  each  of  whom  estimated 
the  excellence  of  each  company  and  each  battalion  on 
a  scale  of  one  hundred.  The  average  of  their  figures, 
made  without  consultation  among  themselves,  was 
taken  as  the  mark  of  the  company  or  battalion.  As 
the  Wimpleton  battalion  had  three  companies,  while 
the  other  had  but  two,  two  thirds  of  the  total  of 
its  marks  were  taken  as  its  aggregate  for  the  company 
drill.  The  results  of  the  company  and  the  battalion 
drill  of  each  party  were  then  added  together,  and  the 
one  which  had  the  most  was  entitled  to  the  banner. 

The  chairman  of  the  judges,  after  a  hollow  square 


THE   WAE   OF    THE    STUDENTS.  283 

of  both  battalions  bad  been  formed,  stepped  forward 
to  announce  the  decision.  He  began  by  commending 
both  parties  for  the  friendly  spirit  they  had  exhibited. 
He  then  praised  the  general  excellence  of  the  drill  in 
both  battalions,  declaring  that  it  would  compare  very 
favorably  with  that  of  any  volunteer  organization 
which  the  speaker  had  ever  witnessed.  Both  sides 
lustily  applauded  this  statement,  and  when  the  noise 
had  subsided,  the  chairman  proceeded  to  read  the 
figures  of  the  several  judges.  The  Toppleton  battal- 
ion was  ninety-three,  while  the  Wimpleton  was  eighty- 
four;  and  Company  A  of  the  former  had  the  highest 
mark  for  company  drill.  These  results  decided  the 
contest  in  our  favor,  and  the  banner  was  awarded  to 
Toppleton  by  a  majority  of  twenty-two  marks. 

The  Wimpletonians  applauded  with  all  their  might. 
When  the  result  had  been  read,  I  saw  Colonel  Wim- 
pleton biting  his  lips ;  but  if  he  was  disposed  to  in- 
dulge in  any  unpleasant  remarks,  the  generous  conduct 
of  the  battalion  which  bore  his  name  silenced  him. 
It  was  a  fair  thing  all  around ;  but  it  ought  to  be  said, 
in  justice  to  the  Wimpletonians,  that  they  had  many 
new  recruits,  whose  clumsiness  affected  the  general 
result. 


2S4  SWITCH    OFF,    OR 

Our  fellows  were  more  than  satisfied :  they  had 
won  the  prize;  but  what  was  better,  they  had  won 
the  hearts  of  their  rivals.  The  beginning  of  all  this 
friendly  feeling  was  the  act  of  Briscoe  in  tendering 
the  escort  to  the  Wimpletonians.  A  sneer,  a  few  hard 
words,  or  even  a  little  coldness  on  our  part,  would 
have  kept  alive  and  fanned  the  old  feeling  of  resent- 
ment. We  had  not  been  able  to  beat  our  rivals  on 
the  hard-fought  field  of  the  Horse  Shoe,  but  we  had 
conquered  them  with  the  mighty  weapon  of  love,  and 
our  victory  was  complete.  "  Love  your  enemies," 
Wolf  would  have  said,  if  he  had  been  there  ;  and  the 
blessed  truth  is  as  good  for  boys'  play  as  it  is  for 
the  serious  business  of  life. 

The  Wimpletonians  invited  us  to  spend  the  after- 
noon with  them,  and  we  did  so.  Towards  night  we 
were  ferried  across  the  lake  by  our  friends,  and 
everything  was  "lovely"  to  the  end.  As  soon  as 
our  battalion  landed,  I  hastened  to  the  house  of  Major 
Toppleton,  to  see  Tommy.  He  was  really  very  sick ; 
but  he  was  glad  to  see  me,  and  I  told  him  all  that 
had  transpired  since  he  left  us.  He  was  very  sorry 
for  the  loss  of  Jed's  colt ;  but  he  smiled  with  genu- 


THE   WAR   OF    THE    STUDENTS.  285 

ine  satisfaction  when  I  told  him  how  we  had  made 
friends  of  the  Wimpletonians. 

I  could  not  believe  he  was  the  same  arrogant,  con- 
ceited, tyrannical  Tommy  Toppleton  I  had  known 
so  long ;  but  he  was  sick,  and  there  was  no  assurance 
that  he  would  not  have  a  moral  relapse  when  his 
physical  health  was  restored.  For  a  fortnight  he  did 
not  go  out  of  his  chamber.  Every  day,  at  noon,  Wolf 
came  over  to  see  him  —  and  Grace.  Then  he  began 
to  improve,  and  in  a  short  time  went  out.  Then 
"Wolf  told  him  about  Waddie,  and  the  vast  change 
which  had  been  wrought  in  him;  how  everybody  on 
the  other  side  loved  him,  and  would  do  anything  for 
him ;  and  how  Ben  Pinkerton  had  insisted  upon 
resigning,  in  order  that  Waddie  might  be  again 
elected  major  of  the  battalion. 

Tommy  listened  to  the  story  with  deep  interest. 
He  did  not  say  anything.  lie  made  no  promises,  as 
his  rival  and  prototype  on  the  other  side  had  done; 
but  as  the  months  rolled  on,  we  realized  that  he 
was  another  fellow.  He  imitated  the  example  of 
Waddie,  and  took  his  place  as  a  private  in  one  of  the 
companies.     I  shall  never  forget  the  love  and  devo- 


286  SWITCH   OFF,    OE 

tion  which  his  mother  and  Grace  always  manifested 
towards  him,  for  he  was  another  hoy  in  the  house  as 
well  as  abroad.  His  father  was  more  reserved,  and 
said  nothing;  but  he  could  not  help  being  impressed 
by  the  altered  behavior  of  his  son. 

If  Colonel  Wimpleton  and  Major  Topjileton  still 
kept  up  their  former  ill  will  and  resentment,  it  was 
confined  to  them,  for  the  two  Institutes  could,  no 
longer  be  regarded  as  the  rival  academies.  Each 
visited  the  other  occasionally,  and  at  one  of  these 
meetings  some  one  proposed  that  the  two  battalions 
should  be  consolidated  into  a  regiment.  Tommy  and 
Waddie,  who  had  cordially  joined  hands,  favored  the 
proposition.  It  was  carefully  discussed  for  a  whole 
afternoon,  and  a  committee  appointed  to  arrange  the 
union.  The  two  battalions  agreed  to  meet  the  next 
holiday  on  the  Horse  Shoe  to  hear  the  report. 

"When  the  day  came,  it  proved  to  be  an  exceedingly 
interesting  occasion.  The  committee  reported  that 
each  battalion  should  retain  its  present  organization 
for  separate  parades.  Field  and  staff  officers  were  to 
be  elected  or  appointed  for  joint  parades.  A  colonel 
and  lieutenant  colonel  were  to  be  elected.     Pinkerton 


THE    WAR   OF    THE    STUDENTS.  287 

was  to  be  major,  and*  Briscoe  adjutant.  A  ballot  for 
the  two  field  officers  to  be  elected  resulted  in  the 
choice  of  Tommy  Toppleton  as  colonel,  and  Waddie 
Wimpleton  as  lieutenant  colonel,  for  they  were  really 
the  two  most  popular  fellows  in  the  regiment,  under 
the  new  order  of  things.  Both  of  them,  with  the 
modesty  becoming  the  new  life  upon  which  they  had 
entered,  declined,  and  insisted  that  Pinkerton  and 
Briscoe  should  have  the  highest  positions;  but  we 
finally  persuaded  them  to  accept,  and  we  were  never 
sorry  for  their  action  or  our  own. 

In  the  fall,  the  regiment  marched  entirely  around 
the  lake,  using  a  fortnight  for  the  tour,  and  had  a 
magnificent  time.  "We  did  not  stop  at  Trottwood's 
this  time,  though  we  saw  Jed  and  his  father  at  work 
in  the  field.  They  never  troubled  Christy  Holgate, 
and  I  doubt  whether  he  ever  went  near  them.  Peace 
and  harmony  reigned  throughout  the  regiment.  We 
camped  one  night  on  High  Bluff,  and  laughed  over 
the  war  of  the  students  which  had  been  fought  there ; 
but  I  think  all  of  us  were  satisfied  with  the  final  re- 
sult, when  Tommy  Toppleton  switched  off. 

Christy  Holgate  was  not  disturbed  by  the  officers 


288  SWITCH   OFF. 

of  justice.  He  was  a  temperate,  well-behaved  man, 
and  no  one  was  disposed  to  meddle  with  him  after  he 
had  made  all  the  reparation  in  his  power  for  his  crime. 
Mr.  Penniman  divided  the  labor  on  the  boat  with  him, 
so  that  Christy  ran  the  Ucayga  from  Centreport  to 
Hitaca,  and  down  to  the  same  point  the  next  morning. 
This  arrangement  enabled  the  Pennimans  to  occupy 
their  place  in  Middleport,  though  Wolf  was  absent 
much  of  the  time.  Christy  moved  his  family  to 
Hitaca,  so  that  he  was  with  them  every  night. 

But  I  have  told  my  part  of  the  story,  and  if  the 
moral  of  it  is  not  already  apparent,  I  will  simply  add, 
that,  when  you  find  yourself  leading  a  wicked  or  use- 
less life,  —  in  other  words,  when  you  are  on  the  wrong 
track,  —  do  as  my  good  friend  Tommy  Toppleton 
did  —  SWITCH  OFF. 


ro/» 
REV.   ELIJAH  KELLOGG  S 
s 

ELM  ISLAND  STORIES. 


Six  foh     Kmo.    Illustrated.    Per  vol.,  $1.28. 

.1.    Lion  Ben  of  Elm  Island. 
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Island. 

5.  The  Young  Shipbuilders  of 

Elm  Island. 
0.   The  Hardsorabble  of  Elm 
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"There  is  no  sentimentalism  in  this  series. 
It  is  all  downright  matter-of-fact  boy  life,  and 
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ing it  The  history  of  pioneer  life  is  so 
attractive  that  one  involuntarily  wishes  to 
renew  those  early  struggles  with  adverse 
circumstances^  and  join  the  busy  actors  in 
their  successful  efforts  to  build  up  pleasant 
homes  on  our  3ea-girt  islands.  — Zu>?i's 
H*rala\ 

\£E  &  SHEPARD,  Publishers,  Boston. 


Illustrated  Natural  History. 

YOUNG  HUNTER'S  LIBRARY. 

By  MBS.  R.  Lee.     Four  volumes.     Illustrated. 
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The  Australian  Wanderers. 

The  Adventures  of  Captain  Spencer  and 
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Anecdotes  of  Animals, 

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This  is  a  very  popular  series,  prepared  for 
the  purpose  of  interesting  the  young  in  the 
study  or  natural  history.  The  exciting  ad- 
ventures of  celebrated  travellers,  anecdotes 
of  sagacity  in  birds,  beasts,  &c  ,  have  been 
interwoven  in  a  pleasant  manner.  This  se- 
ries is  not  only  very  interesting  but  is  deci- 
dedly profitable  reading. 

LEE  &  SHEPARD,  Publishers,  Boston. 


Wonderful  Stories. 

JUTLAND  SERIES. 

Four  vol*   Illustrated.    Set  In  a  neat  box,  or  sold 
separate.    Per  vol.,  $1.50. 

The  Sand  Hills  of  Jutland. 

By  Hans  Christian  Andersen.      i6mo. 
Illustrated. 

Yarns  of  an  Old  Mariner. 

By  Mrs.   Mary  Cowden  Clarke.     Illus- 
trated by  Cruikshank.   i6mo. 

Schoolboy  Days. 

By  W.  H.  G.  Kingston.      i6mo.      Six- 
teen illustrations. 

Great  Men  and  Gallant  Deeds. 
By  J.  G.  Edgar.     i6mo.     Illustrated. 

Four  books  by  four  noted  authors  comprise 
this  series,  which  contains  Adventures  by  Sea 
and  Land,  Manly  Sports  of  England,  Boy 
Life  in  English  Schools,  Fairy  Tales  and 
Legends,  —  all  handsomely  illustrated. 


2  ,,         LEE  &  SHEPARD,  Publishers,  Boston. 

s*a~ 


The   Great    West. 

THE  FRONTIER  SERIES 

Five  vols.    Illustrated.    Per  vol.,  $1.25. 

Twelve  Nights  in   the   Hunters' 

Camp. 
A  Thousand  Miles'  Walk  Across 

South  America. 
The  Cabin  on  the  Prairie. 
Planting  the  Wilderness. 
The  Young  Pioneers. 

The  romance  surrounding  the  adventurous 
lives  of  Western  pioneers  and  immigrants 
has  suggested  nearly  as  many  stories  as  the 
chivalric  deeds  of  knight-errantry.  These 
tales  of  frontier  life  are,  however,  as  a  rule, 
characterized  by  such  wildness  of  fancy  and 
such  extravagancy  of  language  that  we  have 
often  wondered  why  another  Cervantes  did 
not  ridicule  our  border  romances  by  describ- 
ing a  second  Don  Quixote's  adventures  on 
the  prairies.  We  are  pleased  to  notice,  that 
in  the  new  series  of  Frontier  Tales,  by  Lee 
&  Shepard,  there  is  an  agreeable  absence  of 
sensational  writing,  of  that  maudlin  senti- 
mentality which  make  the  generality  of  such 
tales  nauseous. ' '  —  Standard. 


LEE  &  SHEPARD,  Publishers,  Boston. 


MISS    LOUISE   M.    THURSTON  S 

CHARLEY  ROBERTS  SERIES. 

To  be  completed  in  six  vols.     Illustrated. 
Per  volume,  $1. 

How  Charley  Roberts  Be- 
came  a   Man. 

How  Eva  Roberts  Grained. 
Her  Education. 

Charley    and    Eva's    Home 
in  the   "West. 

{Others  in  Preparation.) 

In  presenting  the  above  new  series  the  publish- 
ers believe  that  they  are  adding  to  that  class  of 
juvenile  literature  whose  intrinsic  worth  is  recog- 
nized by  those  who  have  at  heart  the  good  of  the 
young. 

"They  are  pleasantly  written  books,  descriptive 
of  the  struggles  and  difficulties  of  Charley  and 
Eva  in  attaining  to  manhood  and  womanhood, 
and  they  are  well  adapted  to  stimulate  a  noble 
ambition  in  the  hearts  of  young  persons." 

LEE  &  SHEPARD,  Publishers,  Boston. 


MAY  MANNERING  S 

HELPING  HAND  SERIES. 

Six  volumes.     Illustrated.     Per  volume,  $t. 

Climbing  the   Rope. 

Billy   Grimes's    Eavorite. 

The  Cruise  of  the  Dasha- 
way. 

The    Little    Spaniard. 

Salt   Water  Dick. 

Little   Maid   of  Oxbow. 

"  'May  Mannering'  is  the  nom  de  phone  of  an 
agreeable  writer  for  the  young  folks  who  possesses 
more  than  ordinary  ability,  and  has  a  thorough 
comprehension  of  the  way  to  interest  children." — 
Philadelphia  Item. 

"We  like  the  ppirit  of  these  books  exceedingly, 
and  cordially  commend  it  to  the  notice  of  Sabbath 
School  Libraries."  —  Ladies.'  Repository. 

LEE  &  SHEPARD,  Publishers,  Boston. 


"Uarieu  ana  &ttrartifo." 

VACATION  STORY-BOOKS. 

Six  vols.     Illust     Per  vol.,  80  eta. 

"Worth  not  "Wealth. 

Country  Life. 

The  Charm. 

Karl  Keigler. 

"Walter  Seyton. 

Holidays  at  Chestnut  Hill. 

ROSY  DIAMOND  STORY-BOOKS. 

Six  volumes.     Illustrated.     Per  voL,  80  cts. 

The  Great  Rosy  Diamond. 
Daisy,  or  The  Fairy  Spectacles. 
Violet,  a  Fairy  Story. 
Minnie,  or  The  Little  "Woman. 
The  Angel  Children. 
Little  Blossom's  Reward 

These  are  delightful  works  for  children.    They 
are  all  very  popular,  and  have  had  a  wide  circula- 
tion.    They  are  now  presented  in  a  new  dress. 
The  stories  are  all  amusing  and  instructive,  ex- 
.  hibiting  human  nature  in  children,  and  teaching 
^     some  very  important  practical  lessons. 

2^,         LEE  &  SHEPARD,  Publishers,  Boston. 


"  JFasrfnattng  ana  fetrudibe." 

THE  PROVERB   SERIES. 

By  Mrs.  M.  E.  Bradley  and  Miss 
Kate  J.  Neely. 

Six  vols.     Illust     Per  vol.,  $1. 

Birds  of  a  Feather. 

Fine  Feathers  do  Not  make  Fine 
Birds. 

Handsome  is  that  Handsome  does. 

A  "Wrong  Confessed   is  half  Re- 
dressed. 

Actions  speak  louder  than  "Words. 

One  Good  Turn  deserves  another. 

"  Each  volume  is  complete  in  itself,  and  illus- 
trates, with  a  story  of  most  fascinating  and  in- 
structive interest,  the  proverb  taken  for  its  title. 
These  are  just  the  kind  of  books  that  we  like  to 
see  in  a  family  or  Sunday-school  library.  They 
will  be  read  by  persons  of  all  ages  with  deep 
interest,  and  afford  instructive  and  entertaining 
conversation  with  the  children." — S.  8.  Journal. 

LEE  &  SHEPARD.  Publishers,  Boston. 


